There were several eastern schooners discharging granite at the breakwater, that would soon be ready, and one that was already to receive a frieght. 1 procured a boat, with two negroes, and pulled off to her. The captain was walking the quarter-deck, and when nearly along-side, we lie on our oars. The skipper came to the break of the deck, with both thumbs placed in the armhole of his vest. " Good morning, sir," said I, " are you bound East f" " Yes, sir, I am." " What will you take a cargo of timber to Boston for?" " Well, I don't know; I expect freights are good now, and don't like to set a price till I have looked round." " Well, sir, I can assure yon that the merchants on shore tell me there is not a ton of frieght in Charleston for the East, and as I am in haste to get back to Boston, will give you seven dollars per thousand, which is fifty cents more than the usual rate." " I guess freight is good or else you wouldn't have come off.
I can't give you an answer now." " Shove off, boys," said I, and we went on shore. I remained in Charleston three days, and frequently saw this captain driving through the streets with his hat off, and wiping the perspiration from his face and looking forme, but lie was too late, and went East entirely empty. I have mentioned this apparently trifling circumstance, merely to show how apt we are to leave a surety for an uncertainty, and most of our losses and perplexities occur from an inordinate desire to get more, and we often discover, when too late, that our calculations required a little shrewdness as a counterpoise. Now the point of failure with this captain was not in refusing to take up with my offer at once, for he was hound to get the highest freight that could he obtained; this was a duty he owed to himself and to his owners.
But here was a tangible offer over the common rate, and he should have gone immediately on shore with me, when he would have learned there what he afterwards found to be true, that there were no freights for the North, and could have earned seven hundred dollars rather than to have gone home with nothing. In conversation with a wealthy merchant once, on this very subject, he remarked that he owed his success to one established principle on which he had always acted, (with only one exception,) which was, never to refuse a good paying offer, under an expectation that the article would rise. And the exception was, once he had a lot of hides, for which he had a good offer before they were discharged from the vessel.
His broker told him that they were on the rise, and that ho had better store them. He did so, and lost the whole. I took the steamer for Savannah, and arrived there late on Saturday night, took up my residence at the Pulaski House, and an excellent hotel it was. On Sabbath morning I attended the Baptist Sunday School. It was well attended, and well conducted. There were many colored children, but chiefly females. The Baptist preacher, whose name I have forgotten, was a very energetic and off-hand man, and after the services, the ordinance of baptism was administered; and in his address to the audience, remarked in a very feeling manner, that there were those before him that were kept hack by diffidence and unbelief from following the example of those who were shortly to be buried with Christ by baptism.
" Yes, my beloved friends, there are those before me that I would give worlds to dispel their doubts and baptize them, but there are also those whose lives and example is such that I would give worlds to unbaptize them." The house was densely crowded, and a marked solemnity pervaded the whole. In the afternoon I attended the Baptist church for colored people. The house is well situated and very commodious. I went early and was offered a front seat. The house was soon tilled to its utmost capacity, and all were neatly dressed, particularly the women, who were generally clad in calico gowns, with either a white or a colored handkerchief on their heads, and with snow-white aprons neatly tied.