wood and fetch water for them: this is done entirely through the good
feelings of the slaves, and not through the masters' taking care that
it is done. On these night-visits, the aged inmate of the hut is often
found crying on account of sufferings from disease or extreme
weakness, or from want of food or water in the course of the day: many
a time, when I have drawn near to my mother's hut, I have heard her
grieving and crying on these accounts: she was old and blind too, and
so unable to help herself. She was not treated worse than others: it
is the general practice. Some few good masters do not treat their old
slaves so: they employ them in doing light jobs about the house and
garden.

My eldest sister is in Elizabeth City. She has five children, who, of
course, are slaves. Her master is willing to sell her for $100: she is
growing old. One of her children, a young man, cannot be bought under
$900.

My sister Tamar, who belonged to the same master with myself, had
children very fast. Her husband had hard owners, and lived at a
distance. When a woman who has many children belongs to an owner who
is under age, as ours was, it is customary to put her and the children
out yearly to the person who will maintain them for the least money,
the person taking them having the benefit of whatever work the woman
can do. But my sister was put to herself in the woods. She had a bit
of ground cleared, and was left to hire herself out to labor. On the
ground she raised corn and flax; and obtained a peck of corn, some
herrings, or a piece of meat, for a day's work among the neighboring
owners. In this way she brought up her children. Her husband could
help her but little. As soon as each of the children became big
enough, it was sold away from her.