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n and politeness; but, from some certain scruples of
delicacy, declined to ordain me.

My sole motive for thus dwelling on this transaction, or inserting
these papers, is the opinion which gentlemen of sense and education,
who are acquainted with Africa, entertain of the probability of
converting the inhabitants of it to the faith of Jesus Christ, if the
attempt were countenanced by the legislature.

Shortly after this I left the Governor, and served a nobleman in the
Devonshire militia, with whom I was encamped at Coxheath for some
time; but the operations there were too minute and uninteresting to
make a detail of.

In the year 1783 I visited eight counties in Wales, from motives of
curiosity. While I was in that part of the country I was led to go
down into a coal-pit in Shropshire, but my curiosity nearly cost me my
life; for while I was in the pit the coals fell in, and buried one
poor man, who was not far from me: upon this I got out as fast as I
could, thinking the surface of the earth the safest part of it.

In the spring 1784 I thought of visiting old ocean again. In
consequence of this I embarked as steward on board a fine new ship
called the London, commanded by Martin Hopkin, and sailed for
New-York. I admired this city very much; it is large and well-built,
and abounds with provisions of all kinds. While we lay here a
circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular:--One day a
malefactor was to be executed on a gallows; but with a condition that
if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under
the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege
was claimed; a woman presented herself; and the marriage ceremony was
performed. Our ship having got laden we returned to London in January
1785. When she was ready again for another voyage, the captain being
an agreeable man, I sailed with him from hence in the spring, March
1785, for Philadelphia. On the fifth of April we took our departure
from the Land's-end, with a pleasant gale; and about nine o'clock that
night the moon shone bright, and the sea was smooth, while our ship
was going free by the wind, at the rate of about four or five miles an
hour. At this time another ship was going nearly as fast as we on the
opposite point, meeting us right in the teeth, yet none on board
observed either ship until we struck each other forcibly head and
head, to the astonishment and consternation of both crews. She did us
much damage, but I believe we did her more; for when we passed by each
other, which we did very quickly, they called to us to bring to, and
hoist out our boat, but we had enough to do to mind ourselves; and in
about eight minutes we saw no more of her. We refitted as well as we
could the next day, and proceeded on our voyage, and in May arrived at
Philadelphia. I was very glad to see this favourite old town once
more; and my pleasure was much increased in seeing the worthy quakers
freeing and easing the burthens of many of my oppressed African
brethren. It rejoiced my heart when one of these friendly people took
me to see a free-school they had erected for every denomination of
black people, whose minds are cultivated here and forwarded to virtue;
and thus they are made useful members of the community. Does not the
success of this practice say loudly to the planters in the language of
scripture--"Go ye and do likewise?"

In October 1785 I was accompanied by some of the Africans, and
presented this address of thanks to the gentlemen called Friends or
Quakers, in Gracechurch-Court Lombard-Street:

 Gentlemen,

 By reading your book, entitled a Caution to Great Britain
 and her Colonies, concerning the Calamitous State of the
 enslaved Negroes: We the poor, oppressed, needy, and
 much-degraded negroes, desire to approach you with this
 address of thanks, with our inmost love and warmest
 acknowledgment; and with the deepest sense of your
 benevolence, unwearied labour, and kind interposition,
 towards breaking the yoke of slavery, and to administer a
 little comfort and ease to thousands and tens of thousands
 of very grievously afflicted, and too heavy burthened
 negroes.

 Gentlemen, could you, by perseverance, at last be enabled,
 under God, to lighten in any degree the heavy burthen of the
 afflicted, no doubt it would, in some measure, be the
 possible means, under God, of saving the souls of many of
 the oppressors; and, if so, sure we are that the God, whose
 eyes are ever upon all his creatures, and always rewards
 every true act of virtue, and regards the prayers of the
 oppressed, will give to you and yours those blessings which
 it is not in our power to express or conceive, but which we,
 as a part of those captived, oppressed, and afflicted
 people, most earnestly wish and pray for.

These gentlemen received us very kindly, with a promise to exert
themselves on behalf of the oppressed Africans, and we parted.

While in town I chanced once to be invited to a quaker's wedding. The
simple and yet expressive mode used at their solemnizations is worthy
of note. The following is the true form of it:

After the company have met they have seasonable exhortations by
several of the members; the bride and bridegroom stand up, and, taking
each other by the hand in a solemn manner, the man audily declares to
this purpose:

"Friends, in the fear of the Lord, and in the presence of this
assembly, whom I desire to be my witnesses, I take this my friend,
M.N. to be my wife; promising, through divine assistance, to be unto
her a loving and faithful husband till death separate us:" and the
woman makes the like declaration. Then the two first sign their names
to the record, and as many more witnesses as have a mind. I had the
honour to subscribe mine to a register in Gracechurch-Court,
Lombard-Street.

We returned to London in August; and our ship not going immediately to
sea, I shipped as a steward in an American ship called the Harmony,
Captain John Willet, and left London in March 1786, bound to
Philadelphia. Eleven days after sailing we carried our foremast away.
We had a nine weeks passage, which caused our trip not to succeed
well, the market for our goods proving bad; and, to make it worse, my
commander began to play me the like tricks as others too often
practise on free negroes in the West Indies. But I thank God I found
many friends here, who in some measure prevented him. On my return to
London in August I was very agreeably surprised to find that the
benevolence of government had adopted the plan of some philanthropic
individuals to send the Africans from hence to their native quarter;
and that some vessels were then engaged to carry them to Sierra Leone;
an act which redounded to the honour of all concerned in its
promotion, and filled me with prayers and much rejoicing. There was
then in the city a select committee of gentlemen for the black poor,
to some of whom I had the honour of being known; and, as soon as they
heard of my arrival they sent for me to t

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