While, however, I was forwarding this, I was not inattentive to the other object of my pursuit, which was that of waiting upon members personally.  The first I called upon was Sir Richard Hill.  At the first interview he espoused the cause.  I waited then upon others, and they professed themselves friendly; but they seemed to make this profession more from the emotion of good hearts, revolting at the bare mention of the Slave Trade, than from any knowledge concerning it.  One, however, whom I visited, Mr. Powys, (the late Lord Lilford,) with whom I had been before acquainted in Northamptonshire, seemed to doubt some of the facts in my book, from a belief that human nature was not capable of proceeding to such a pitch of wickedness.  I asked him to name his facts.  He selected the case of the hundred and thirty-two slaves who were thrown alive into the sea to defraud the underwriters.  I promised to satisfy him fully upon this point, and went immediately to Granville Sharp, who lent me his account of the trial, as reported at large from the notes of the short-hand writer, whom he had employed on the occasion.  Mr. Powys read the account.  He became, in consequence of it, convinced, as, indeed, he could not otherwise be, of the truth of what I had asserted, and he declared at the same time that, if this were true, there was nothing so horrible related of this trade, which might not immediately be believed.  Mr. Powys had been always friendly to this question, but now he took a part in the distribution of my books.

Among those whom I visited was Mr. Wilberforce.  On my first interview with him, he stated frankly, that the subject had often employed his thoughts, and that it was near his heart.  He seemed earnest about it, and also very desirous of taking the trouble of inquiring further into it.  Having read my book, which I had delivered to him, in person, he sent, for me.  He expressed a wish that I would make him acquainted with some of my authorities for the assertions in it, which I did afterwards to his satisfaction.  He asked me if I could support it by any other evidence.  I told him I could.  I mentioned Mr. Newton, Mr. Nisbett, and several others to him.  He took the trouble of sending for all these.  He made memorandums of their conversation, and, sending for me afterwards, showed them to me.  On learning my intention to devote myself to the cause, he paid me many handsome compliments.  He then desired me to call upon him often, and to acquaint him with my progress from time to time.  He expressed also his willingness to afford me any assistance in his power in the prosecution of my pursuits.

The carrying on of these different objects, together with the writing which was connected with them, proved very laborious, and occupied almost all my time.  I was seldom engaged less than sixteen hours in the day.  When I left Teston to begin the pursuit as an object of my life, I promised my friend Mr. Ramsay a weekly account of my progress.  At the end of the first week my letter to him contained little more than a sheet of paper.  At the end of the second it contained three; at the end of the third, six; and at the end of the fourth I found it would be so voluminous, that I was obliged to decline writing it.