yards from the precipice of the pier, but going from
it. I expected that they would have divided to let me through them;
instead of which they closed upon me and bore me back. I was borne
within a yard of the precipice, when I discovered my danger; and
perceiving among them the murderer of Peter Green, and two others who
had insulted me at the King's Arms, it instantly struck me that they had
a design to throw me over the pier-head; which they might have done at
this time, and yet have pleaded that I had been killed by accident.
There was not a moment to lose. Vigorous on account of the danger, I
darted forward. One of them, against whom I pushed myself, fell down:
their ranks were broken; and I escaped, not without blows, amidst their
imprecations and abuse.

I determined now to go to Lancaster, to make some inquiries about the
Slave Trade there. I had a letter of introduction to William Jepson, one
of the religious society of the Quakers, for this purpose. I found from
him, that, though there were slave-merchants at Lancaster, they made
their outfits at Liverpool, as a more convenient port. I learnt too from
others, that the captain of the last vessel, which had sailed out of
Lancaster to the coast of Africa for slaves, had taken off so many of
the natives treacherously, that any other vessel known to come from it
would be cut off. There were only now one or two superannuated captains
living in the place. Finding I could get no oral testimony, I was
introduced into the Custom-house. Here I just looked over the
muster-rolls of such slave-vessels as had formerly sailed from this
port; and having found that the loss of seamen was precisely in the same
proportion as elsewhere, I gave myself no further trouble, but left the
place.

On my return to Liverpool, I was informed by Mr. Falconbridge, that a
ship-mate of Ormond, of the name of Patrick Murray, who had been
discharged in the West Indies, had arrived there. This man, he said, had
been to call upon me in my absence, to seek redress for his own bad
usage; but in the course of conversation he had confirmed all the
particulars as stated by Ormond, relative to the murder of Peter Green.
On consulting the muster-roll of the ship, I found his name, and that he
had been discharged in the West Indies on the 2nd of February. I
determined, therefore, to see him. I cross-examined him in the best
manner I could. I could neither make him contradict himself, nor say
anything tha