Chains

Isabel and Ruth travel two nights by boat from Newport to New York City. They are stowed below deck with animals and other cargo. Isabel is very seasick for most of the journey but comes up to the deck on the second night for fresh air while Ruth sleeps. She takes in the calm night and wonders about their fate. She remembers her mother saying that ghosts cannot travel over water. Her father was stolen from his homeland in Guinea, leaving his ancestors to mourn his loss; Isabel imagines her ancestors wailing in grief. This has been the fate for so many more. She also imagines her mother mourning her and Ruth now as they are stolen away once again.

The ship docks, and a bevy of workers begins to unload the ship’s cargo. Isabel and Ruth stand, taking in the grandeur of the harbor and the new city stretched before them. It is bustling with activity as well as soldiers preparing for battle. Isabel sees many people of color and remarks, “In truth, I had never seen so many of us in one place, not even at burials” (27). A stately wagon pulled by two gold horses arrives to collect the Locktons and their luggage.