Abraham stowed away on the Kennebunk brig Merchant on its voyage home from St. Martin, and was not discovered until they were at sea. The Merchant landed in Kennebunk on August 18, 1805, and the "Negro lad" departed.

On August 24, 1805, Ebenezer Perkins, master, Joseph Perkins, chief mate, and Nathaniel Thompson, seaman, recently arrived on the brig Merchant from St. Martins, appeared before Jonas Clark to declare under oath that "in the second day leaving said island and being far out of sight of any land, they for the first time discovered a Negro lad, a stranger to them, to be in the hold of said vessel, having secreted himself among some casks. That the said Negro called himself Abraham, is about sixteen years of age and is supposed by these deponents to belong to some person in St. Martin's as his slave and to have privately come on board while in the harbor of that place. They further declare that his coming on board and secreting himself as aforesaid was altogether without the knowledge or consent of these deponents or any of them, and that it is their sincere belief that all others of the said Vessel's company were likewise entirely ignorant of the circumstance of his coming or being on board as aforesaid - and they moreover say, that on the arrival of said Brig at said Kennebunk, which was on the eighteenth of August instant, they the said deponents and others belonging on board or concerned with or owning of said vessel. Disclaiming all rights to restrain or detain the said Negro, he has landed from said vessel and departed."

Note that the arrival of this vessel was recorded in the Kennebunk Impost Book on August 19, 1805. It carried a cargo of 2097 gallons of rum, 1156 gallons of molasses, and 33,654 pounds of sugar, and was obligated to pay duties totaling $1466.

Bibliography:

Trial Justice Court records, notarial record of Jonas Clark Esq - Wells, York, Maine, United States records - Familysearch.org