SLAVE NARRATIVES - Library of Congress

washing. Then she got a chance to work on a small boat cooking
and doing the boat washing, and there would be weeks that some
of the deck hands would have to help her because they would have
such a crowd of raftsmen. Sometimes there would be twenty or
thirty of them raftsmen - men who would cut the logs and raft
them to go and bring them down the river. Then the deck hands
would have to help her. I too would have to wash the dishes
and help out.
"I went to school in Pocahontas and met my future hus-
band (Travis). I brought many a waiter to serve when they had
a crowd. I took Travis to the boat and he was hired to wait on
the men. When they had just the crew - Captain, Clerk, Pilotf
Engineer, Mate, and it seems there was another one - I waited
on the table myself. I help peel the potatoes and turn the meat.
Vi/hen we had that big run, then Mr. Travis and some of the others
would come down and help me. The boat carried freight, cotton,'
and nearly anything might neer that was shipped down to town.
Pocahontas was a big shipping place.
H My mother said they used to jump over the broom stick
and count that married. The only amusement my mother had was
work, I don't know if she knowed there was such a thing as
Christmas.
slaves had.
"Mother's little house was a log cabin like all the other
"They didn't give her anything much to eat. They was farm-
ers. They raised their own cattle and hogs. The niggers did the
same - that is, the niggers raised everything and got a little to
eat. They had one nigger man that was around the house and others
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