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 shipmate 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 second 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 any thing that militated against the testimony of Ormond.  I was convinced therefore of the truth of the transaction; and, having obtained his consent, I sent him to London to stay with the latter, till he should hear further from me.  I learnt also from Mr. Falconbridge, that my visitors had continued to come to the King’s Arms during my absence; that they had been very liberal of their abuse of me; and that one of them did not hesitate to say (which is remarkable) that “I deserved to be thrown over the pier-head.”

Finding now that I could get no further evidence; that the information which I had already obtained was considerable[A]; and that the commitee had expressed an earnest desire, in a letter which I had received, that I would take into consideration the propriety of writing my Essay on the Impolicy of the Slave-trade as soon possible, I determined upon leaving Liverpool.  I went round accordingly and took leave of my friends.  The last of these was William Rathbone, and I have to regret, that it was also the last time I ever saw him.  Independently of the gratitude I owed him for assisting me in this great cause, I respected him highly as a man.  He possessed a fine understanding with a solid judgment.  He was a person of extraordinary simplicity of manners.  Though he lived in a state