In the annals of smugglers and cruisers there are few more notable incidents than that which occurred on the 13th of January 1823, in the English Channel.  On this day the Revenue cutter Badger was cruising off the French coast under the command of Lieutenant Henry Nazer, R.N.  He was an officer of the Excise, but the cutter at that time was in the service of the Customs, her station being from the South Foreland to Dungeness.  About 7.30 A.M. the officer of the watch came below and told him something, whereupon Nazar hurried on deck and observed a suspicious sail on the starboard tack, the wind being E.S.E.  The Badger was at that time about nine or ten miles off the French coast, somewhere abreast of Etaples, and about six or seven leagues from the English shore.  The craft which was seen was, to use the lieutenant’s own language, “a cutter yawl-rigged,” which I understand to signify a cutter with a small lug-sail mizzen, as was often found on smugglers.  At any rate, he had every reason to believe that this was a smuggling craft, and he immediately made sail after her.  At that hour it was just daybreak, and the smuggler was about three or four miles off—­to the eastward—­and to windward, but was evidently running with sheets eased off in a westerly direction.

But when the smuggler saw the Badger was giving chase he also altered his course.  It was a fine, clear, frosty morning, and the Badger quickly sent up his gaff topsail and began to overhaul the other, so that by nine o’clock the two vessels were only a mile apart.  The Badger now hoisted his Revenue pendant at the masthead, consisting of a red field with a regal crown at the upper part next the mast, and he also hoisted the Revenue ensign (that is to say “a red Jack with a Union Jack in a canton at the upper corner and a regal crown in the centre of the red Jack”) at his peak.  These signals instantly denoted that the ship was a Revenue cruiser.  Lieutenant Nazar also ordered an unshotted gun to be fired as a further signal that the smuggler was to heave-to, but the stranger paid no attention and hoisted no colours.  Ten minutes later, as it was perceived that his signals were disregarded, the Badger’s commander ordered a shot to be fired at her, and this was immediately returned by the smuggler with one of her stern guns.  From this time a running fire was kept up for nearly three hours, but shortly before midday, whilst the cutter was still chasing her and holding on the same course as the other, the Badger came on at such a pace that she ran aboard the smuggler’s starboard quarter whilst both ships were still blazing away at each other.