The Life of Olaudah Equiano: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Equiano stayed several weeks on the island before being shipped off for North America. In Virginia, he worked on a plantation for a few weeks until, his companions sold and dispersed, he was alone and had no one he could understand. One day, grieving and desiring death, he was sent to the estate master’s house to fan him. There he saw a female slave loaded with an iron muzzle so that she couldn’t speak or eat. While he fanned the gentleman, he looked about the room and saw a clock hanging on the chimney. He was afraid at its noise and thought it might tell the master if Equiano did something wrong. Then he saw a portrait that seemed to look at him and he was even more frightened, thinking it might be a spirit that the white men kept after their death. Here Equiano was called Jacob, while aboard the ship he’d been called Michael.

Then, Equiano says, God smiled on him. One day the captain of a merchant ship, Michael Henry Pascal, arrived on business to the master’s (Mr. Campbell’s) house. He liked the look of Equiano and bought him for between 30 and 40 pounds, as a gift to his friends in England. Equiano was taken to the ship, where he was treated much more kindly: he started to think that perhaps not all white people were equally cruel. Though he didn’t know what would happen to him, he had begun to pick up a little English, and some aboard said that he was being carried back to his own country. This would prove false, but at the time it made him happy.

Pascal named Equiano “Gustavus Vassa.” While Equiano said he’d prefer to be called Jacob, Pascal refused, and Equiano was whipped repeatedly until he agreed to respond to the name. During the journey, the crew often joked that they’d kill and eat Equiano, though Equiano believed them to be serious.

One young boy aboard—Richard Baker, an American who’d gotten a good education—was kind to Equiano and they became inseparable. Baker had slaves himself, but he grew close to Equiano and they often suffered together and embraced during frightening moments aboard ship. Their friendship continued until Baker’s death in 1759, which Equiano continues to lament, remarking on the fact that a 15-year-old had a mind free of prejudice towards an ignorant stranger and slave like himself.

One night a man was lost overboard, and, amid the cries, Equiano again feared he’d be killed. The next day they saw large fishes, grampuses, which Equiano believed were rulers of the sea. Just then the wind died away, and he assumed the fish had caused this. Dick (Richard) told Equiano that these creatures would eat anyone, alarming him even more, but the captain laughed at Equiano’s fears.

After 13 weeks they caught sight of land and reached Falmouth, where the captain got provisions for a feast. It was spring 1757 and Equiano was nearly twelve: he found the pavement and buildings in Falmouth remarkable, as well as the snow, which fell the next day. He asked a sailor what the use of snow was, and the sailor said that snow was made by the great God in the heavens, though Equiano didn’t understand.

Equiano went to church, though he failed to understand what it meant. Dick began to instruct Equiano, and Equiano started to become impressed at the white people’s wisdom, as well as at the fact that they didn’t sell each other, as his own people did. But Equiano was also shocked that white people didn’t make offerings or wash their hands before eating; he also found the women’s slenderness less attractive. He often saw Pascal and Dick reading and wanted to “talk to the books” in order to discover the origin of the world, which is what he thought they were doing. He often talked to a book himself, and was frustrated at its silence.

Pascal and Equiano lodged at a gentleman’s house where there was a daughter, about the age of seven, who was fond of Equiano. Then they departed again for Guernsey, home to one of the ship’s owners, a merchant, Nicholas Doberry. There, he and Dick were left for several months with the family of one of the ship’s mates. There was another little daughter who also liked Equiano, and Equiano noticed that his face didn’t become rosy like hers when he washed it; he was ashamed he couldn’t make it so. The mother, though, was kind to him and taught him as though he were her own child.

Several months later Pascal sent for Equiano and Dick and they sailed to England. At first Equiano was amazed by the quantity of men and guns, but soon his constant astonishment began to ease, as did his grief, especially since there were other boys on board. They traveled to Holland, Scotland, and other places, and often played on deck: the men sometimes had the boys fight for several shillings. Equiano also learned more about seamanship and was even taught to fire the guns. One night they encountered a French-built ship ashore and were preparing to battle when the ship lifted English colors. A bit disappointed, Equiano returned to Portsmouth without seeing any battles.

Equiano arrived in London to lodge with a relative of Pascal and his two amiable sisters, the Miss Guerins. Equiano grew ill, first with chilblains and then with the pox, but he soon recovered. Afterwards, he went with Pascal to Holland to carry the late Duke of Cumberland to England. During this time, Equiano saw one young sailor cursing wickedly. While cursing, some dirt particles fell into the sailor’s left eye, and within a week he lost it—Equiano considered this a judgment from God.

Pascal was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal George, so Equiano joined him, but they left behind Dick, whom he was never to see again. Equiano marveled at the enormous size of the ship and its many stalls for goods. Soon, Pascal was appointed to another ship that was preparing for an expedition to America. After being blown to Tenerife by winds, they continued on and arrived at St. George in Halifax, and then at Cape Breton in summer 1758. They were supposed to attack at Louisburgh as part of the French and Indian War.

The land forces laid siege to the town, while the fleet pursued the French in the harbor, setting some of their ships afire. Finally Louisburgh was taken, and the navy officers entered the harbor in triumph. Some admirals left for England, but one night those who remained caught sight of a French fleet. Each ship prepared for a fight, and the Englishmen pursued the French fleet all night, though they never caught up to it.