But while I was in pursuit of this one object, I was not unmindful of the others which I had marked out for myself.  I had already procured an interview, as I have mentioned, with Mr. Sydenham Teast.  I had done this with a view of learning from him what were the different productions of the continent of Africa, as far as he had been able to ascertain from the imports by his own vessels.  He was very open and communicative.  He had imported ivory, red-wood, cam-wood, and gum-copal.  He purposed to import palm-oil.  He observed that bees’-wax might be collected, also, upon the coast.  Of his gum-copal he gave me a specimen.  He furnished me, also, with two different specimens of unknown woods, which had the appearance of being useful.  One of his captains, he informed me, had been told by the natives, that cotton, pink in the pod, grew in their country.  He was of opinion, that many valuable productions might be found upon this continent.

Mr. Biggs, to whom I gained an introduction also, was in a similar trade with Mr. Teast; that is, he had one or two vessels which skimmed, as it were, the coast and rivers for what they could get of the produce of Africa, without having any concern in the trade for slaves.  Mr. Biggs gave me a specimen of gum Senegal, of yellow-wood, and of Malaguetta and Cayenne pepper.  He gave me, also, small pieces of cloth made and dyed by the natives, the colours of which they could only have obtained from materials in their own country.  Mr. Biggs seemed to be assured that, if proper persons were sent to Africa on discovery, they would fine a rich mine of wealth in the natural productions of it, and in none more advantageous to this as a manufacturing nation, than in the many beautiful dyes which it might furnish.

From Thomas Bonville I collected two specimens of cloth made by the natives; and from others a beautiful piece of tulipwood, a small piece of wood similar to mahogany, and a sample of fine rice, all of which had been brought from the same continent.

Among the persons whom I found out at Bristol, and from whom I derived assistance, were Dr. Camplin and the celebrated Dean Tucker.  The former was my warm defender; for the West Indian and African merchants, as soon as they discovered my errand, began to calumniate me.  The dean, though in a very advanced age, felt himself much interested in my pursuit.  He had long moved in the political world himself, and was desirous of hearing of what was going forward that was new in it, but particularly about so desirable a measure as that of the abolition of the Slave Trade[A].  He introduced me to the Custom House at Bristol.  He used to call upon me at the Merchants’ Hall, while I was transcribing the muster-rolls of the seamen there.  In short, he seemed to be interested in all my movements.  He became, also, a warm supporter both of me and of my cause.

[Footnote A:  Dean Tucker, in his Reflections on the Disputes between Great Britain and Ireland, published in 1785, had passed a severe censure on the British planters for the inhuman treatment of their slaves.]