Final answer:
The reader can infer from the phrase "When I recovered a little..." that Equiano is finding a moment of relief from a difficult condition, likely related to his experiences of enslavement, given the historical context of his life.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the sentence "When I recovered a little..." it can be inferred that Equiano is expressing a moment of recuperation from a condition that had left him vulnerable. The passage as a whole does not explicitly state Equiano's situation during this recovery. However, given Equiano's historical context as a person who experienced enslavement and advocated for abolition, one might infer that he's reflecting on a moment of respite amid the hardships he endured. Thus, the most plausible inference is that he was recovering from the harsh conditions related to his enslavement (option d. He is being comforted by friends while recovering from a serious illness). This inference is made by connecting the context provided by the entire excerpt with the specific phrase mentioned.