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 before hand, 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. Falconbridge had been the surgeon of her.  Three came to me, who had been ill-used in the voyage which followed, though she had then sailed under a new captain.  Two applied to me from the Africa, who had been of her crew in the last voyage.  Two from the Fly.  Two from the Wasp.  One from the Little Pearl, and three from the Pilgrim or Princess, when she was last upon the coast.

The different scenes of barbarity, which these represented to me, greatly added to the affliction of my mind.  My feelings became now almost insupportable.  I was agonized to think that this trade should last another day.  I was in a state of agitation from morning till night.  I determined I would soon leave Bristol.  I saw nothing but misery in the place.  I had collected now, I believed, all the evidence it would afford; and to stay in it a day longer than was necessary, would be only an interruption for so much time both of my happiness and of my health.  I determined therefore to do only two or three things, which I thought to be proper, and to depart in a few days.

And first I went to Bath, where I endeavoured to secure the respectable paper belonging to that city in favour of the abolition of the Slave-trade.  This I did entirely to my satisfaction, by relating to the worthy editor all the discoveries I had made, and by impressing his mind in a forcible manner on the subject.  And it is highly to the honour of Mr. Crutwell, that from that day he never ceased to defend our cause; that he never made a charge for insertions of any kind; but that he considered all he did upon this occasion in the light of a duty, or as his mite given in charity to a poor and oppressed people.

The next attempt was to lay the foundation of a commitee in Bristol, and of a petition to Parliament from it for the abolition of the Slave-trade.  I had now made many friends.  A gentleman of the name of Paynter had felt himself much interested in my labours.  Mr. Joseph Harford, a man of fortune, of great respectability of character, and of considerable influence, had attached himself to the cause.  Dr. Fox had assisted me in it.  Mr. Hughes, a clergyman of the Baptist church, was anxious and ready to serve it; Dr. Camplin, of the Establishment, with several of his friends, continued steady.  Matthew Wright, James Harford, Truman Harford, and all the Quakers to a man, were strenuous, and this on the best of principles, in its support.  To all these I spoke, and I had the pleasure of seeing that my wishes were likely in a short time to be gratified in both these cases.