Shortly after, this man who had ordered me from the table, came up with the ladies.

I stepped up and asked him if he was the captain of the boat.

His answer was no, that he was one of the proprietors.

I then informed him that I was going to leave his boat at the first stopping place, but before leaving I wanted to ask him a few questions: "Have I misbehaved to any one on board of this boat?
Have I disobeyed any law of this boat ?" "No," said he.
"Have I not paid you as much as any other passenger through to Cincinnati ?" "Yes," said he.
"Then I am sure that I have been insulted and imposed upon, on board of this boat, without any just cause whatever." "No one has misused you, for you ought to have known better than to have come to the table where there were white people." "Sir, did you not ask me to come to the table ?" "Yes, but I did not know that you was a colored man, when I asked you; and then it was better to insult one man than all the passengers on board of the boat." "Sir, I do not believe that there is a gentleman or lady on board of this boat who would have considered it an insult for me to have taken my breakfast, and you have imposed upon me by taking my money and promising to use me well, and then to insult me as you have." "I don't want any of your jaw," said he.
"Sir, with all due respect to your elevated station, you have imposed upon me in a way which is unbecoming a gentleman.

I have paid my money, and behaved myself as well as any other man, and I am determined that no man shall impose on me as you have, by deceiving me, without my letting the world know it.