consideration, that I had procured two sentinels
to be stationed in the enemy's camp, who keeping a journal of different
facts, would bring me some important intelligence at a future period.

CHAPTER XVI.

Author goes to Monmouth; confers relative to a petition from that
place; returns to Bristol; is introduced to Alexander Falconbridge;
takes one of the mates of the Africa out of that ship; visits disabled
seamen from the ship Thomas; puts a chief mate into prison for the
murder of William Lines.--Ill-usage of seamen in various other
slave-vessels; secures Crutwell's Bath paper in favour of the
abolition; lays the foundation of a committee at Bristol; and of a
petition from thence also; takes his leave of that city.

By this time I began to feel the effect of my labours upon my
constitution. It had been my practice to go home in the evening to my
lodgings, about twelve o'clock, and then to put down the occurrences of
the day. This usually kept me up till one, and sometimes till nearly two
in the morning. When I went my rounds in Marsh-street, I seldom got home
till two, and into bed till three. My clothes, also, were frequently wet
through with the rains. The cruel accounts I was daily in the habit of
hearing, both with respect to the slaves, and to the seamen employed in
this wicked trade, from which, indeed, my mind had no respite, often
broke my sleep in the night, and occasioned me to awake in an agitated
state. All these circumstances concurred in affecting my health; I
looked thin; my countenance became yellow; I had also rheumatic
feelings. My friends, seeing this, prevailed upon me to give myself two
or three days' relaxation; and as a gentleman, of whom I had some
knowledge, was going into Carmarthenshire, I accompanied him as far as
Monmouth.

After our parting at this place, I became restless and uneasy, and
longed to get back to my work. I thought, however, my journey ought not
to be wholly useless to the cause; and hearing that Dr. Davis, a
clergyman at Monmouth, was a man of considerable weight among the
inhabitants, I took the liberty of writing him a letter, in which I
stated who I was and the way in which I had lately employed myself, and
the great wish I had to be favoured with an interview with him; and I
did not conceal that it would be very desirable, if the inhabitants of
the place could have that information on the subject which would warrant
them in so doing, that they should petiti