This six years of vexatious swinging like a pendulum over the line between bondage and liberty was well calculated to spoil all the gratitude and glory of getting across.
It was early discovered that the masters generally were disposed to abuse their power and get from their apprentices all that could by any means be extorted.

The friends of humanity in Great Britain were aroused, Mr.Sturge, a distinguished philanthropist of Birmingham, accompanied by Messrs.

Scohle, Harvey, and Lloyd, proceeded to the West Indies on a mission of inquiry, and prosecuted their investigation contemporaneously with Messrs.

Thome and Kimball.

Their Report produced a general conviction in England, that the planters had forfeited all claim to retain their authority over the apprentices, and the government was accordingly petitioned immediately to abolish the system.