Why might finding "some of [his] own nation" have given Equiano some ease during the Middle Passage? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Equiano entered the public world of the British empire, becoming involved with the abolitionist movement. He presented a petition to the Queen, protested the government's criticisms of him, and, of course, published his autobiography. This work asserted that Olaudah Equiano was a man, a British citizen, and a Christian. Equiano thus developed an identity forged from his manumission, his experiences at sea, his conversion to Christianity, and his movements in the public arena. It is a fiercely individual identity, not beholden to any one creed but instead full of complications.