some months after my arrival in England I learned, with much sorrow, that this my amiable friend was dead, owing to his having eaten some poisoned fish.  We had many very heavy gales of wind in our passage; in the course of which no material incident occurred, except that an American privateer, falling in with the fleet, was captured and set fire to by his Majesty’s ship the Squirrel.  On January the seventh, 1777, we arrived at Plymouth.  I was happy once more to tread upon English ground; and, after passing some little time at Plymouth and Exeter among some pious friends, whom I was happy to see, I went to London with a heart replete with thanks to God for all past mercies.

CHAP.  XII.

Different transactions of the author’s life till the present time—­His application to the late Bishop of London to be appointed a missionary to Africa—­Some account of his share in the conduct of the late expedition to Sierra Leona—­Petition to the Queen—­Conclusion.

Such were the various scenes which I was a witness to, and the fortune I experienced until the year 1777.  Since that period my life has been more uniform, and the incidents of it fewer, than in any other equal number of years preceding; I therefore hasten to the conclusion of a narrative, which I fear the reader may think already sufficiently tedious.

I had suffered so many impositions in my commercial transactions in different parts of the world, that I became heartily disgusted with the sea-faring life, and I was determined not to return to it, at least for some time.  I therefore once more engaged in service shortly after my return, and continued for the most part in this situation until 1784.

Soon after my arrival in London, I saw a remarkable circumstance relative to African complexion, which I thought so extraordinary, that I beg leave just to mention it:  A white negro woman, that I had formerly seen in London and other parts, had married a white man, by whom she had three boys, and they were every one mulattoes, and yet they had fine light hair.  In 1779 I served Governor Macnamara, who had been a considerable time on the coast of Africa.  In the time of my service, I used to ask frequently other servants to join me in family prayers; but this only excited their mockery.  However, the Governor, understanding that I was of a religious turn, wished to know of what religion I was; I told him I was a protestant of the church of England, agreeable to the thirty-nine articles of that church, and that whomsoever I found to preach according to that doctrine, those I would hear.  A few days after this, we had some more discourse on the same subject:  the Governor spoke to me on it again, and said that he would, if I chose, as he thought I might be of service in converting my countrymen to the Gospel faith, get me sent out as a missionary to Africa.  I at first refused going, and told him how I had been