+-------------------------------+
|   N.W. by N.                  |
|   Remarks, Monday 13th.       |
|   N.W. by W. At 6.30 Ostend   |
|   Light bore S.E. distant     |
|   12 miles.                   |
|   At 4 a.m.  Calais Light      |
|   bore E. by S.               |
+-------------------------------+

So when the Badger first sighted this craft the latter had made her last entry in the log, only three and a half hours before.  It was significant that English charts were also found among the ship’s papers, though her manifest, her certificate, her bill of lading, and other certificates were all in Dutch.  The books found included Hamilton Moore’s Navigation, another similar work by Norie, the British Channel Pilot, and Navigation of the North Seas.  There was also found a Dutch ensign and a Dutch Jack on board, but there was even an English Prayer-book.

The prisoners remained on board the Badger until next day, when they were transferred to H.M.S. Severn.  The Vree Gebroeders was taken into Dover, and was valued, together with her cargo, at the handsome sum of L11,000, which would have been a fine amount of prize money; but in spite of the clear evidence at the trial, the jury were so prejudiced in favour of the smugglers that they found the prisoners not guilty, their contention being that the ship and cargo were wholly foreign, and that more than half of the crew were foreigners.

It had been an unfortunate affair.  Besides the death of Cullum and the two smugglers killed and the seven smugglers wounded, Lieutenant Nazer, James Harper, William Poppedwell, Daniel Hannibel, and James Giles were all wounded on the Badger, Nazer being wounded on the left shoulder by a musket ball.  The smuggler’s crew had made ludicrous efforts to pretend they were Dutch.  Dutch names were assumed, but witnesses at the trial were able to assign to them their proper appellations, and it was significant that the crew spoke English without a foreign accent.  Her commander insisted his name was Reymas, but his real name was Joseph Wills, and he had been foremost in the calling for quarter.  Another of the crew, who pretended his name was Jan Schmidt, was found to be an Englishman named John Smith.  The vessel herself had been built by a Kentishman, living at Flushing, the previous year.

And here is another of those occasions when there was displayed an excess of zeal, though under the circumstances who would blame the Preventive officer for what he did?  In February of 1824, a man named Field and his crew of three came out from Rye—­that hotbed of smugglers—­and intended to proceed to the well-known trawling ground about fifteen miles to the S.W. of Rye, abreast of Fairlight, but about five or six miles out from that shore.  Unfortunately it fell very calm, so that it took them some time to reach the trawling ground, and even when with the assistance of the tide they did arrive there, the wind was so scant that it was useless to shoot the trawl in the water.  Naturally, therefore, it was a long time before they had obtained their cargo of flat fish, and when a little breeze sprang up they had to get back to Rye, as their provisions had run short.