use." This brought great commendation from those
present; and Sir Charles Middleton added, that if I wanted any
information in the course of my future inquiries relative to Africa,
which he could procure me as comptroller of the navy, such as extracts
from the journals of the ships of war to that continent, or from other
papers, I should have free access to his office. This offer I received
with thankfulness, and it operated as a new encouragement to me to
proceed.

The next morning, when I awoke, one of the first things that struck me
was, that I had given a pledge to the company the day before that I
would devote myself to the cause of the oppressed Africans. I became a
little uneasy at this. I questioned whether I had considered matters
sufficiently to be able to go so far with propriety. I determined
therefore to give the subject a full consideration, and accordingly I
walked to the place of my usual meditations,--the woods.

Having now reached a place of solitude, I began to balance everything on
both sides of the question. I considered first, that I had not yet
obtained information sufficient on the subject to qualify me for the
undertaking of such a work. But I reflected, on the other hand, that Sir
Charles Middleton had just opened to me a new source of knowledge; that
I should be backed by the local information of Dillwyn and Ramsay; and
that surely, by taking pains, I could acquire more.

I then considered that I had not yet a sufficient number of friends to
support me. This occasioned me to review them. I had now Sir Charles
Middleton, who was in the House of Commons. I was sure of Dr. Porteus,
who was in the House of Lords. I could count upon Lord Scarsdale, who
was a peer also. I had secured Mr. Langton, who had a most extensive
acquaintance with members of both houses of the legislature. I had also
secured Dr. Baker, who had similar connexions. I could depend upon
Granville Sharp, James Phillips, Richard Phillips, Ramsay, Dillwyn, and
the little committee to which he belonged, as well as the whole society
of the Quakers. I thought, therefore, upon the whole, that, considering
the short time I had been at work, I was well off with respect to
support. I believed, also, that there were still several of my own
acquaintance whom I could interest in the question, and I did not doubt
that, by exerting myself diligently, persons, who were then strangers to
me, would be raised up in time.

I considered next, th