OK all the install was fine and I went through the new slave setup but when i try to go to the slave from my forwarded URL the site it takes me to the master front end.

I can still use my master as normally

setup i am trying to get is slave sites on different db's

my domain redirects work fine

I am under cpanel with php 5.2.2

have tried with ftp layer and still the same

my goal is to have one master with 3 slave all on own db

ie abc.com/master

abc.com/slave1

abc.com/slave2

abc.com/slave3

all in the same directory.

You can not setup your hosting server with FORWARD URL.
When you forward or redirect an URL this mean that when the request arrive to JMS, the original URL is lost.
When a request arrive to JMS and that is not defined in its list of slave site domain, it displays the master website.
You have to modify the hosting server to define a sub-domain without redirection or forwarding but with an assign of its directory.
See the FAQ www.jms2win.com/faq that contain a section that will help you configure your hosting server depending on its type.
As you says CPanel, probably you should have a look on the FAQ /faq#sec-58 and www.jms2win.com/media/joomla_multisites/config_cpanel.pdf
See also the video present in tutorial step 0 www.jms2win.com/tutorial that explain the concept of JMS and that highligh the point concerning the hosting server confgiuration.

Thank you for the help it worked.

For some reason i was thinking forwarding not mapping.

and hay you helped me solve a problem with a wordpress subdomain at the same time.

SHUBERT