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TITLE: A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF VENTURE
AUTHOR: VENTURE SMITH
EBOOK: E00137 (O'Briens Book Cellar)

A NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES 
 
OF VENTURE, A NATIVE OF AFRICA, 
 
But resident above sixty years in the United States of America. 
 
RELATED BY HIMSELF. 
 
VENTURE SMITH 
 
New London, 1798 
 
PREFACE 
 
The following account of  the life of VENTURE, is a relation of simple 
facts, in which nothing is in substance to what he relates himself. 
Many other interesting and curious passages of his life might have 
been inserted, but on account of the bulk to which they must 
necessarily have swelled this narrative, they were omitted.  If any 
should suspect the truth of what is here related, they are referred to 
people now living who are acquainted with most of the facts mentioned 
in this narrative. 
 
The reader is here presented with an account, not of a renowned 
politician or warrior, but of an untutored African slave, brought into 
this Christian country at eight years of age, wholly destitute of all 
education but what he received in common with other domesticated 
animals, enjoying no advantages that could lead him to suppose himself 
superior to the beasts, his fellow servants.  And if he shall enjoy no 
other advantage from perusing this narrative, he may experience those 
sensations of shame and indignation, that will prove him to be not 
wholly destitute of every noble and generous feeling. 
 
The subject of the following pages, had he received only a common 
education, might have been a man of high respectability and 
usefulness; and had his education been suited to his genius, he might 
have been an ornament and an honor to human nature.  It may perhaps, 
not be unpleasing to see the efforts of a great mind wholly 
uncultivated, enfeebled and depressed by slavery, and struggling under 
every disadvantage.  The reader may here see a Franklin and a 
Washington, in a state of nature, or rather, in a state of slavery. 
Destitute as he is of all education, he still exhibits striking traces 
of native ingenuity and good sense. 
 
This narrative exhibits a pattern of honesty, prudence, and industry, 
to people of his own colour; and perhaps some white people would not 
find themselves degraded by imitating such an example. 
 
The following account is published in compliance with the earnest 
desire of the subject of it, and likewise a number of respectable 
persons who are acquainted with him. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
_Containing an account of his life, from his birth to the time of his 
                  leaving his native country._ 
 
I was born at Dukandarra, in Guinea, about the year 1729.  My father's 
name was Saungm Furro, Prince of the Tribe of Dukandarra.  My father 
had three wives.  Polygamy was not uncommon in that country, 
especially among the rich, as every man was allowed to keep as many 
wives as he could maintain.  By his first wife he had three children. 
The eldest of them was myself, named by my father Broteer.  The other 
two were named Cundazo and Soozaduka.  My father had two children by 
his second wife, and one by his third.  I descended from a very large, 
tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of 
people in other parts of the globe, being commonly considerably above 
six feet in height, and in every way well proportioned. 
 
The first thing worthy of notice which I remember was, a contention 
between my father and mother, on account of my father's marrying his 
third wife without the consent of his first and eldest, which was 
contrary to the custom generally observed among my countrymen.  In 
consequence of this rupture, my mother left her husband and country, 
and travelled away with her three children to the eastward.  I was 
then five years old.  She took not the least sustenance along with 
her, to support either herself or children.  I was able to travel 
along by her side; the other two of her offspring she carried one on 
her back, and the other being a sucking child, in her arms.  When we 
became hungry, my mother used to set us down on the ground, and gather 
some of the fruits which grew spontaneously in that climate.  These 
served us for food on the way.  At night we all lay down together in 
the most secure place we could find, and reposed ourselves until 
morning.  Though there were many noxious animals there; yet so kind 
was our Almighty protector, that none of them were ever permitted to 
hurt or molest us.  Thus we went on our journey until the second day 
after our departure from Dukandarra, when we came to the entrance of a 
great desert.  During our travel in that we were often affrighted with 
the doleful howlings and yellings of wolves, lions, and other animals. 
After five days travel we came to the end of this desert, and 
immediately entered into a beautiful and extensive interval country. 
Here my mother was pleased to stop and seek a refuge for me.  She left 
me at the house of a very rich farmer.  I was then, I should judge, 
not less than one hundred forty miles from my native place, separated 
from all my relations and acquaintance.  At this place my mother took 
her farewell of me, and set out for her own country.  My new guardian, 
as I shall call the man with whom I was left, put me into the business 
of tending sheep, immediately after I was left with him.  The flock 
which I kept with the assistance of a boy, consisted of about forty. 
We drove them every morning between two and three miles to pasture, 
into the wide and delightful plains.  When night drew on, we drove 
them home and secured them in the cote.  In this round I continued 
during my stay there.  One incident that befel me when I was driving 
my flock from pasture, was so dreadful to me at that age, and is to 
this time fresh in my memory, that I cannot help noticing it in this 
place.  Two large dogs sallied out of a certain house and set upon me. 
One of them took me by the arm, and the other by the thigh, and before 
their master could come and relieve me, they lacerated my flesh to 
such a degree, that the scars are very visible to the present day.  My 
master was immediately sent for.  He came and carried me home, as I 
was unable to go myself on account of my wounds.  Nothing remarkable 
happened afterwards until my father sent for me to return home. 
 
Before I dismiss this country, I must just inform my reader what I 
remember concerning this place.  A large river runs through this 
country in a westerly course.  The land for a great way on each side 
is flat and level, hedged in by a considerable rise of the country at 
a great distance from it.  It scarce ever rains there, yet the land is 
fertile; great dews fall in the night which refresh the soil.  About 
the latter end of June or first of July, the river begins to rise, and 
gradually increases until it has inundated the country for a great 
distance, to a height of seven or eight feet.  This brings on a slime 
which enriches the land surprisingly.  When the river has subsided, 
the natives begin to sow and plant, and the vegetation is exceedingly 
rapid.  Near this rich river my guardian's land lay.  He possessed, I 
cannot tell exactly how much, yet this I am certain of respecting it, 
that he owned an immense tract.  He possessed likewise a great many 
cattle and goats.  During my stay with him I was kindly used, and with 
as much tenderness, for what I saw, as his only son, although I was an 
entire stranger to him, remote from friends and relations.  The 
principal occupation of the inhabitants there, were the cultivation of 
the soil and the care of their flocks.  They were a people pretty 
similar in every respect to that of mine,  except in their persons, 
which were not so tall and stout.  They appeared to be very kind and 
friendly.  I will now return to my departure from that place. 
 
My father sent a man and horse after me.  After settling with my 
guardian for keeping me, he took me away and went for home.  It was 
then about one year since my mother brought me here.  Nothing 
remarkable occured to us on our journey until we arrived safe home. 
 
I found then that the difference between my parents had been made up 
previous to their sending for me.  On my return, I was received both 
by my father and mother with great joy and affection, and was once 
more restored to my paternal dwelling in peace and happiness.  I was 
then about six years old. 
 
Not more than six weeks had passed after my return, before a message 
was brought by an inhabitant of the place where I lived the preceding 
year to my father, that that place had been invaded by a numerous 
army, from a nation not far distant, furnished with musical 
instruments, and all kinds of arms then in use; that they were 
instigated by some white nation who equipped and sent them to subdue 
and possess the country, that his nation had made no preparation for 
war, having been for a long time in profound peace that they could not 
defend themselves against such a formidable train of invaders, and 
must therefore necessarily evacuate their lands to the fierce enemy, 
and fly to the protection of some chief; and that if he would permit 
them they should come under his rule and protection when they had to 
retreat from their own possessions.  He was a kind and merciful 
prince, and therefore consented to these proposals. 
 
He had scarcely returned to his nation with the message, before the 
whole of his people were obliged to retreat from their country, and 
come to my fathers dominions. 
 
He gave them every privilege and all the protection his government 
could afford.  But they had not been there longer than four days 
before news came to them that the invaders had laid waste their 
country, and were coming speedily to destroy them in my father's 
territories. This affrighted them, and therefore they immediately 
pushed off to the southward, into the unknown countries there, and 
were never more heard of. 
 
Two days after their retreat, the report turned out to be but too 
true.  A detachment of the enemy came to my father and informed him, 
that the whole army was encamped not far out of his dominions, and 
would invade the territory and deprive his people of their liberties 
and rights, if he did not comply with the following terms.  These were 
to pay them a large sum of money, three hundred fat cattle, and a 
great number of goats, sheep, asses, &c. 
 
My father told the messenger that he would comply rather than that his 
subjects should be deprived of their rights and privileges, which he 
was not then in circumstances to defend from so sudden an invasion. 
Upon turning out those articles, the enemy pledged their faith and 
honor that they would not attack him.  On these he relied and 
therefore thought it unnecessary to be on his guard against the enemy. 
But their pledges of faith and honor proved no better than those of 
other unprincipled hostile nations; for a few days after a certain 
relation of the king came and informed him, that the enemy who sent 
terms of accommodation to him, and received tribute to their 
satisfaction, yet meditated an attack on his subjects by surprise, and 
that probably they would commence their attack in less than one day, 
and concluded with advising him, as he was not prepared for war, to 
order a speedy retreat of his family and subjects.  He complied with 
this advice. 

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