1.

He says that when he comes too he is surrounded by black people who he

believed were those who brought him on board. Page 2
- How were those who were chosen to be sold determined.
2. He was worried that he was to be eaten by those white men. Page 2
- I wonder what stories or myths that were told to those in Africa.
3. When describing the hinder deck where the slaves were kept he says he
smelled a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life. Page 2
- This I found interesting. He has never experienced this smell or this type of
situation that would create such a smell. But these conditions were not unthinkable
by the white men.
4. When he refuses to eat he explains that he is flogged severely. Page 3
- I question two things from statement. First the white men forced or demanded
that they eat. But on page 4 he recalls on how the white men allowed them to
starve and throw extra fish back in the water rather than giving what was not eaten
to the slaves. So my observation from this was that they fed them enough to keep
them alive but nothing more.
5. When he refuses to eat he explains that he is flogged severely. Page 3
- My second thought on this is more of a question. When did they start flogging
them?
6. But still I feared I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted, as I
thought. Page 3
- I question where did these thoughts of the white men come from. What little
information did the slaves have about them before meeting them?
7. When describing the boat and how he believed it worked he says the white men
had some spell or magic they put in the water. Page 3
- He believed in magic or powers. What magic or powers I dont know but there
must have been superstitions in Africa or his hometown.
8. He describes himself as extreme youth. Page 4
- He is captured young and alone. He mentioned others were captured with family
members. I wonder what his situation was that he was sent alone.
9. I can now relate, hardship which are inseparable from this accursed trade. Page
5
- A boy from Africa who was raised in conditions was not that advanced to have
double story homes, boats, or many other items that the white men had in their
home town was able to understand that hardship goes hand-in-hand with trade. A
boy was able to see that how he was treated was not right.

10. He mentions on page 3 that he found some of his own nation on the vessel.
- From his description there were Africans spread out throughout Africa. I wonder
where were slaves captured from. Were their parts of Africa where Africans were not
affected by slavery? Where did they call home?
11. The men did not want the slaves to see how they managed the vessel.
- Why did they feel that they need to put them in the under deck? Did something
happen on other ships that they needed this precaution?
12. On page 4 he says he envied them the freedom they enjoyed.
- When you read this whos freedom did he envy? I feel that he envied those that
were near death. He speaks of wishing death throughout the few pages.
13. On page 5 he talks about how he felt after looking into the quadrant. He says
that he was more persuaded than ever that I was in another world and that he
was magic.
- This goes back to my other observation in the first interpretation. I wonder what
was their religion or beliefs in Africa. There must have been many since they did not
interact with those that lived on other sides of Africa.
14. On page 6 he says O, ye nominal Christian! Might not an African ask you,
learned you this from your God, who says unto you, Do unto all men as you would
men should do unto you?
- What I take away from this quote is he is questioning their faith. What did they
preach in this era?
15. On page 5 he describes how the white people send old slaves from the land to
pacify them. There is not right in this whole situation of slavery. It is cruel. But the
men of the land heard there cries and wanted to comfort them or ease their worries.
Even though they were going to keep them as slaves. The men on the boat heard
them cry for days but never tried to pacify them. I wonder if they understood the
true conditions of the slaves travels.
16. Quadrant a new word to take away from this reading, used on page 5. A
quadrant is an instrument that was used to measure angles. I am unclear of which
type of quadrant was used during this time but there were several different types. It
was used to navigate by measuring altitude of an astronomical object.
17. What I take away from the narrative of his story on the cargo is that he is a very
curious boy. He is frightened but his curiosity of who these men were, how the
vessel worked, and even what type of men these were possibly helps him cope with
the situation.
18. What else did the ship carry? He mentions that there is cargo on the ship but I
wonder if the cargo is the slaves or if they are transporting other items.
19. There is no information on where the crew stayed or their living situation.

20. He looks to his countrymen for lots of questions and insight regarding the white
men. Some of the countrymen must have had encounters with white men to know
that they will not eat them, that they have families that they left at home and how
did they know they lived very far.

What I take away:

The most important thing I will take away from this reading is that this was the
interpretation from a young boy. A young boy that was robbed from his family and
robbed of his youth. But also another perspective on slavery. Ill also take away from
this is understanding that there are perspectives based on gender and age and all
perspectives need to be examined and explored in order to get a better
understanding of a situation. I may not be that informed with history but the only
child perspective I can remember reading about or being taught is Anne Frank.