society. I gained an
introduction, also, soon afterwards, to George Fisher. These were my
first and only acquaintance at Bristol for some time; I derived
assistance in the promotion of my object from all of them; and it is a
matter of pleasing reflection, that the friendships then formed have
been kept alive to the present time.

The objects I had marked down as those to be attended to, were--to
ascertain what were the natural productions of Africa, and, if possible,
to obtain specimens of them, with the view of forming a cabinet or
collection--to procure as much information as I could relative to the
manner of obtaining slaves on continent of Africa, of transporting them
to the West Indies, and of treating them there--to prevail upon persons,
having a knowledge of any or all of these circumstances, to come forward
to be examined as evidences before parliament, if such an examination
should take place--to make myself still better acquainted with the loss
of seamen in the Slave Trade--also with the loss of those who were
employed in the other trades from the same port--to know the nature, and
quantity, and value of the imports and exports of goods in the former
case:--there were some other objects which I classed under the head of
miscellaneous.

In my first movements about this city, I found that people talked very
openly on the subject of the Slave Trade. They seemed to be well
acquainted with the various circumstances belonging to it. There were
facts, in short, in every body's mouth concerning it; and every body
seemed to execrate it, though no one thought of its abolition. In this
state of things I perceived that my course was obvious; for I had little
else to do, in pursuing two or three of my objects, than to trace the
foundation of those reports which were in circulation.

On the third of July I heard that the ship Brothers[A], then lying in
King's Road for Africa, could not get her seamen, and that a party which
had been put on board, becoming terrified by the prospect of their
situation, had left her on Sunday morning. On inquiring further, I found
that those who had navigated her on her last voyage, thirty-two of whom
had died, had been so dreadfully used by the captain, that he could not
get hands in the present. It was added, that the treatment of seamen was
a crying evil in this trade, and that consequently few would enter into
it, so that there was at all times a great difficulty in procuring them,
tho