Hunt, Henry, 1773-1835; Social reformers -- Great Britain -- Biography
At this moment, my friend Gresley arrived, and heard, from the captain and
my father's friend, my obstinate resolve with the greatest astonishment.
He assured me that, unless I instantly gave up all thoughts of going, he
would get a warrant from his friend, the mayor, to detain me by force.
This was, however, unnecessary; for, after the captain's generous and
manly avowal, I yielded without farther delay to the earnest entreaties of
all present, and I believe that the worthy captain felt as much real
delight and happiness at the result as anyone of the party. My father's
friend offered to pay the captain for any expence that he had been put to
on my account, but the latter positively refused to take a farthing,
adding, that he should sell what he had provided for me for two hundred
per cent. profit, and that he would rather lose two hundred per cent. than
forego the pleasure he felt at the idea of a reconciliation, between his
young friend and his father.
The kindness of my father's letter had a great effect upon me; the
expressions of sorrow which it contained at my departure, and the
assurance, that he would be completely miserable till my return, recalled
all his former kindness to me, and I would instantly have set out on my
way home, although it was now dusk, and it rained in torrents, I had
already ordered my horse to be saddled--that horse which I had the same
evening paid a man twelve shillings to take back to my father's house
without his master, I was now eager to mount myself, that I might fly to
receive my parent's blessing, and acknowledge my error in disobeying his
commands. But my friends all entreated me to defer my departure till the
morning, to which I reluctantly consented, and retired to bed about twelve
o'clock, after having taken a most affectionate leave of the _worthy,
generous, and kind-hearted captain_. Good God! how often have I been since
rivetted to the earth, as it were with astonishment, when I contemplated
such a man being employed upon such a cruel, unjust, unchristian,
murderous traffic as that of the _slave trade_!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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