The South

You're a farm boy, perhaps you can apply your skills in a more rural economy.

Walking with firm purpose (you have no money to waste on such luxuries as carriages) towards the dock, you arrive at the port within an hour. You hastily begin running up to as many ships as you can find, asking where they are going and the price of passage. To your dismay, they are all either going somewhere else, or charging too much.

Just as you prepare to give up for today, something catches your eye. You notice men loading a strange assortment of random goods onto a ship, seeming both worthless and unrelated. Curiosity piqued, you move to ask one of the men what the purpose of their cargo is. "Oh, this shite is fer the Africans," he says, lowering his box to speak with you. "Yeah, they don't have any of these kinds of knick knacks down there, you'd be amazed whut you kin get fer em. Most times they're used to buy slaves, which we take to the colonies, then we use the money from them to buy rum 'n such to trade back home. Why d'ya ask?" You ignore his question and ask him where the captain is. He points you onto the ship. You run up the gangplank quickly onto the boat, causing everyone nearby to look at you. Your size and unexpected hurry stand out.

"Woah there, what's the rush?" he asks. The captain is a short man with a bushy grey beard, dressed little better than his men. "Do you take passengers?" you ask breathlessly. The captain shrugs nonchalantly. "Is that all? We don't normally, but I don't have a problem with it. Helps with upkeep costs I 'spose. All right, pay me a little something a find a berth." Gratefully you hand over your bag of money and find a place in the spacious merchant vessel.