here. I determined at last to set out for Turkey,
and there to end my days. It was now early in
the spring 1774. I sought for a master, and found
a captain John Hughes, commander of a ship called Anglicania,
fitting out in the river Thames, and bound to Smyrna
in Turkey. I shipped myself with him as a steward;
at the same time I recommended to him a very clever
black man, John Annis, as a cook. This man was
on board the ship near two months doing his duty:
he had formerly lived many years with Mr. William
Kirkpatrick, a gentleman of the island of St. Kitts,
from whom he parted by consent, though he afterwards
tried many schemes to inveigle the poor man.
He had applied to many captains who traded to St.
Kitts to trepan him; and when all their attempts and
schemes of kidnapping proved abortive, Mr. Kirkpatrick
came to our ship at Union Stairs on Easter Monday,
April the fourth, with two wherry boats and six men,
having learned that the man was on board; and tied,
and forcibly took him away from the ship, in the presence
of the crew and the chief mate, who had detained him
after he had notice to come away. I believe that
this was a combined piece of business: but, at
any rate, it certainly reflected great disgrace on
the mate and captain also, who, although they had desired
the oppressed man to stay on board, yet he did not
in the least assist to recover him, or pay me a farthing
of his wages, which was about five pounds. I
proved the only friend he had, who attempted to regain
him his liberty if possible, having known the want
of liberty myself. I sent as soon as I could
to Gravesend, and got knowledge of the ship in which
he was; but unluckily she had sailed the first tide
after he was put on board. My intention was then
immediately to apprehend Mr. Kirkpatrick, who was
about setting off for Scotland; and, having obtained
a habeas corpus for him, and got a tipstaff
to go with me to St. Paul’s church-yard, where
he lived, he, suspecting something of this kind, set
a watch to look out. My being known to them occasioned
me to use the following deception: I whitened
my face, that they might not know me, and this had
its desired effect. He did not go out of his
house that night, and next morning I contrived a well
plotted stratagem notwithstanding he had a gentleman
in his house to personate him. My direction to
the tipstaff, who got admittance into the house, was
to conduct him to a judge, according to the writ.
When he came there, his plea was, that he had not
the body in custody, on which he was admitted to bail.
I proceeded immediately to that philanthropist, Granville
Sharp, Esq. who received me with the utmost kindness,
and gave me every instruction that was needful on
the occasion. I left him in full hope that I
should gain the unhappy man his liberty, with the
warmest sense of gratitude towards Mr. Sharp for his
kindness; but, alas! my attorney proved unfaithful;
he took my money, lost me many months employ, and
did not do the least good in the cause: and when