CHAPTER XVIII.
Hostile disposition towards the author increases, on account of his known patronage of the seamen employed in the Slave Trade; manner of procuring and paying them at Liverpool; their treatment and mortality .-- Account of the murder of Peter Green; trouble taken by the author to trace it; his narrow escape .-- Goes to Lancaster, but returns to Liverpool; leaves the latter place.
It has appeared that a number of persons used to come and see me, out of curiosity, at the King's Arms tavern; and that these manifested a bad disposition towards me, which was near breaking out into open insult.
Now the cause of all this was, as I have observed, the knowledge which people had obtained relative to my errand at this place.

But this hostile disposition was increased by another circumstance, which I am now to mention.

I had been so shocked at the treatment of the seamen belonging to the slave-vessels at Bristol, that I determined, on my arrival at Liverpool, to institute an inquiry concerning it there also.
I had made considerable progress in it, so that few seamen were landed from such vessels, but I had some communication with them; and though no one else would come near me, to give me any information about the trade, these were always forward to speak to me, and to tell me their grievances, if it were only with the hope of being able to get redress.
The consequence of this was, that they used to come to the King's Arms tavern to see me.

Hence, one, two, and three, were almost daily to be found about the door; and this happened quite as frequently after the hostility just mentioned had shown itself, as before.

They, therefore, who came to visit me out of curiosity, could not help seeing my sailor visiters; and on inquiring into their errand, they became more than ever incensed against me.
The first result of this increased hostility towards me was an application from some of them to the master of the tavern, that he would not harbour me.