ing himself into a posture which attracted the
notice of those present, and by staring me in the face. I could now no
longer restrain myself, and I said aloud, in as modest manner as I
could, "You, sir, may know many things which I do not; but this I know,
that if you do not do your duty, you are amenable to a higher court."
The mayor upon this looked at me, and directly my friend Mr. Burges, who
was sitting as the clerk to the magistrates, went to him and whispered
something in his ear; after which all private conversation between the
mayor and others ceased, and the hearing was ordered to come on.

[Footnote A: We may well imagine what this person's notion of another
man's honour was; for he was the purser of the Brothers and of the
Alfred, who, as before mentioned, sent the captains of those ships out a
second voyage; after knowing their barbarities in the former; and he was
also the purser of this very ship Thomas, where the murder had been
committed. I by no means, however, wish by these observations to detract
from the character of Captain Vicars, as he had no concern in the cruel
deed.]

I shall not detain the reader by giving an account of the evidence which
then transpired. The four witnesses were examined, and the case was so
far clear; Captain Vicars, however, was sent for. On being questioned,
he did not deny that there had been bad usage, but said that the young
man had died of the flux. But this assertion went for nothing when
balanced against the facts which had come out; and this was so evident,
that an order was made out for the apprehension of the chief mate. He
was accordingly taken up. The next day, however, there was a rehearing
of the case, when he was returned to the gaol, where he was to lie till
the Lords of the Admiralty should order a sessions to be held for the
trial of offences committed on the high seas.

This public examination of the case of William Lines, and the way in
which it ended, produced an extraordinary result; for after this time
the slave-captains and mates who used to meet me suddenly, used as
suddenly to start from me, indeed to the other side of the pavement, as
if I had been a wolf, or tiger, or some dangerous beast of prey. Such of
them as saw me beforehand used to run up the cross streets or lanes,
which were nearest to them, to get away. Seamen, too, came from various
quarters to apply to me for redress. One came to me who had been treated
ill in the Alexander, when Mr