would not, it must be confessed,
stand the test of the present code of morality. The slave trade had,
until lately, been lawful, and the firm had engaged in it with as little
hesitation as it would in any other mercantile business. It had been in
the habit of buying negroes in the cheapest market, and disposing of
them in the dearest, without for a moment considering how they were
obtained. When the traffic was pronounced illegal, it withdrew its own
vessels, but still had no hesitation in supplying the means for fitting
out others which it knew were about to proceed to the African coast,
although no particular inquiries were made on the subject. It was not
very long before the time of which I speak that the fact dawned on the
minds of the partners that the traffic was hateful in the sight of God,
as well as in that of a large number of their countrymen, and that it
was the main cause of the cruel wars and miseries unspeakable from which
the dark-skinned children of Africa had long suffered. Being really
conscientious men, they had agreed to abandon all connection with the
traffic, and to employ their vessels in carrying on a lawful trade on
the coast. To do this, however, was not at first so easy as might be
supposed. One of the vessels especially, which they had contributed to
fit out and to supply with goods, although not belonging to them, was
commanded by Mr Trunnion's brother--a Captain Roderick Trunnion, of
whose character I had heard from time to time mysterious hints thrown
out not much to his credit. He occasionally made his appearance at
Liverpool. He seemed to me to be a fine, bold, dashing fellow, ready to
do and dare anything he might think fit. He was like several privateer
captains I had met with, who set their own lives and those of their
followers at slight value, provided they could carry out their
undertakings. He gave, I believe, his brother, Mr Thomas Trunnion, the
partner in our firm, considerable cause for anxiety and annoyance. The
last time he had been on shore, in order to recover his brother's
confidence he endeavoured to make himself agreeable to the other
partners. Mr Swab, however, I know, did not trust him, as he privately
told Harry Bracewell on one occasion. "And don't you," he added; "he is
without principles; he always did what he chose regardless of God or
man. And he doesn't believe in God, or that any man has a grain of
honesty, nor does he, except when it suits him, b