Notwithstanding this evident breach of what we, in a more civilized part of the country, call propriety, he preached the truth, and I believe him to have been a good man. On Monday morning, we left this place for Bangor, determined, although we had been cheated, to have a little ramble through down east. AVe visited the Indians at Old Town or Orono; they appeared to be quite numerous, but very filthy in their habits. One old squaw invited us into her wigwam; she was engaged in basket making, and had a pappoose nicely stowed away in a birch bark cradle. This show of politeness was evidently intended to get money from us; but she was so disgustingly dirty, we did not give her a cent, and her earth floor was so filthy that I was glad to leave it.
In one corner, was a piece of fresh meat upon the ground, nearly covered with dirt, which was probably to be her next meal. We left these aboriginal descendants, returned to Boston, and commenced a suit against the fellow from whom we had purchased the moonshine, recovered a part of the money, and let him run with the rest of these Eastern rogues. Everything relating to our business continued prosperous. In 1S42, we were in want of a quantity of hard pine timber, and as it could be purchased more advantageously from first hands, I went to Savannah for that purpose, and for expedition, ehose the land route, as far as Wilmington, and from thence to Charleston and to Savannah by steam-boat.
On my way, and when at Washington, I became familar with two southern gentlemen, who were planters, and resided in the south-western part of Georgia. The youngest of the two, and with whom I had the most conversation, was very intelligent and agreeable in his manners. Our principal conversation was about the South. The topics were varied, but mostly on the subject of slavery. He was bitter against the North for their interference, and declared that his niggers were better off than onefourth the population of Massachusetts. I asked him if it was true that slaves were whipped, and as cruelly treated as we sometimes read of. He replied, " That on some estates, where they have a bad driver, the hands are abused; but then no gentleman will keep a fellow like this on his farm, when he is known to abuse his slaves.
I never whip my niggers; I've got a better mode of punishing than cutting them to pieces with a cowskin. In my barn, I've a box about six feet high, and just big enough for a good-sized fellow to stand upright in, when the door is closed. This box is driven through with sharp pointed nails, as thick as they can stick; and when a nio-ger commits a fault, never mind whether man or woman, they are stripped and put into the box, where they remain all night. If they become sleepy, the sharp nails keep them awake; and in the morning they appear quite tame. When a fellow has the sulks, I just remind him of the box, and it works upon him like magic.
He says ' Oh, massa, don't put me in dat box; I rudder you kill me.' " At first, I thought he was hoaxing me; but on his assurance that what he had stated was true, I let it pass. He imparted to me more information about his plantation, most of which was of too indecent a character to remember, much less to publish. At Washington, an addition was made to our baggage list in the shape of thirty-five slaves, of both sexes, from the boy of seven years, to the old man of fifty. They were in charge of, and I believe owned, by two of the meanest look412 AUTOBIOG RAPHY. ing rascals I had over met.
The one that appeared to have the most to sav, was a thickset, swarthy looking fellow, with red hair, that hung about his head like sea-weed round a rock; face thick with freckles, and the most wicked looking eye, probably, that was ever placed in a man's head. He wore a broad-brimmed straw hat, a hunting jacket, and long boots; he had an enormous mouth, and when he laughed, his head was nearly off. This fellow looked like just what he was, a slave dealer. I was told that he had bought up these servants (for you must know that the southern people seldom say slave; they are all called either servant's or handi) in Maryland, and was ov>ino; to Louisiana, to sell them there, unless he could peddle them off on the way.