t became the one to prove, and the other to
refute it, or to fall in the ensuing session.

The committee, in this perilous situation, were anxious to find out such
other persons, as might become proper evidences before the privy council.
They had hitherto sent there only nine or ten, and they had then only
another, whom they could count upon for this purpose, in their view. The
proposal of sending persons to Africa, and the West Indies, who might come
back and report what they had witnessed, had been already negatived. The
question then was, what they were to do. Upon this they deliberated, and
the result was an application to me to undertake a journey to different
parts of the kingdom for this purpose.

When this determination was made I was at Teston, writing a long letter to
the privy council on the ill usage and mortality of the seamen employed in
the Slave-trade, which it had been previously agreed should be received as
evidence there. I thought it proper, however, before I took my departure,
to form a system of questions upon the general subject. These I divided
into six tables. The first related to the productions of Africa, and the
disposition and manners of the natives. The second, to the methods of
reducing them to slavery. The third, to the manner of bringing them to the
ships, their value, the medium of exchange, and other circumstances. The
fourth, to their transportation. The fifth, to their treatment in the
Colonies. The sixth, to the seamen employed in the trade. These tables
contained together one hundred and forty-five questions. My idea was that
they should be printed on a small sheet of paper, which should be folded up
in seven or eight leaves, of the length and breadth of a small almanac, and
then be sent in franks to our different correspondents. These, when they
had them, might examine persons capable of giving evidence, who might live
in their neighbourhoods or fall in their way, and return us their
examinations by letter.

The committee having approved and printed the tables of questions, I began
my tour. I had selected the southern counties from Kent to Cornwall for it.
I had done this, because these included the great stations of the ships of
war in ordinary; and as these were all under the superintendence of Sir
Charles Middleton, as comptroller of the navy, I could get an introduction
to those on board them. Secondly, because sea-faring people, when they
retire from a marine life, usually s