I began to perceive in a little time the advantage of having cultivated an acquaintance with Thompson of the Seven Stars.  For nothing could now pass in Bristol, relative to the seamen employed in this trade, but it was soon brought to me.  If there was anything amiss, I had so arranged matters that I was sure to hear of it.  He sent for me one day to inform me that several of the seamen, who had been sent out of Marsh Street into the Prince, which was then at Kingroad, and on the point of sailing to Africa for slaves, had, through fear of ill usage on the voyage, taken the boat and put themselves on shore.  He informed me, at the same time, that the seamen of the Africa, which was lying there also, and ready to sail on a like voyage, were not satisfied, for that they had been made to sign their articles of agreement without being permitted to see them.  To this he added, that Mr. Sheriff, one of the mates of the latter vessel, was unhappy, also, on this account.  Sheriff had been a mate in the West India trade, and was a respectable man in his line.  He had been enticed by the captain of the Africa, under the promise of peculiar advantages, to change his voyage.  Having a wife and family at Bristol, he was willing to make a sacrifice on their account:  but when he himself was not permitted to read the articles, he began to suspect bad work, and that there would be nothing but misery in the approaching voyage.  Thompson entreated me to extricate him if I could.  He was sure, he said, if he went to the coast with that man, meaning the captain, that he would never return alive.

I was very unwilling to refuse anything to Thompson.  I was deeply bound to him in gratitude for the many services he had rendered me, but I scarcely saw how I could serve him on this occasion.  I promised, however, to speak to him in an hour’s time.  I consulted my friend Truman Harford in the interim; and the result was, that he and I should proceed to Kingroad in a boat, go on board the Africa, and charge the captain in person with what he had done, and desire him to discharge Sheriff, as no agreement, where fraud or force was used in the signatures, could be deemed valid.  If we were not able to extricate Sheriff by these means, we thought that at least we should know, by inquiring of those whom we should see on board, whether the measure of hindering the men from seeing their articles on signing them had been adopted.  It would be useful to ascertain this because such a measure had been long reported to be usual in this, but was said to be unknown in any other trade.

Having passed the river’s mouth, and rowed towards the sea, we came near the Prince first, but pursued our destination to the Africa.  Mr. Sheriff was the person who received us on board.  I did not know him till I asked his name.  I then told him my errand, with which he seemed to be much pleased.  On asking him to tell the captain that I wished to speak with him, he replied that he was on shore.