But because we are to read fact and not fiction we shall scarcely find the subject inferior in interest.  Truth often enough is stranger, and some of the tricks and devices employed by the smuggling communities may well surprise us.  And while we shall not make any vain attempt to whitewash a class of men who were lawless, reckless, and sometimes even brutal in their efforts, yet we shall not hesitate to give the fullest prominence to the great skill and downright cleverness of a singularly virile and unique kind of British manhood.  In much the same way as a spectator looks on at a fine sporting contest between two able foes, we shall watch the clashing exploits of the King’s men and the smugglers.  Sometimes the one side wins, sometimes the other, but nearly always there is a splendidly exciting tussle before either party can claim victory.

No one who has not examined the authentic records of this period can appreciate how powerful the smugglers on sea and land had become.  The impudence and independence of some of the former were amazing.  We shall give instances in due course, but for the present we might take the case of the Revenue cutter which, after giving chase to a smuggling vessel, came up to the latter.  Shots were exchanged, but the smuggler turned his swivel guns on to the Government craft with such a hot effect that the Revenue captain deemed it prudent to give up the fight and hurry away as fast as possible, after which the positions were reversed and the smuggler actually chased the Revenue cutter! In fact during the year 1777 one of the Customs officials wrote sadly to the Board that there was a large lugger off the coast, and so well armed that she was “greatly an overmatch” for even two of the Revenue cruisers.  It seems almost ludicrous to notice a genuine and unquestionable report of a smuggling vessel coming into a bay, finding a Revenue cruiser lying quietly at anchor, and ordering the cruiser, with a fine flow of oaths, immediately to cut his cable and clear out; otherwise the smugglers promised to sink her.  The Revenue cutter’s commander did not cut his cable, but in truth he had to get his anchor up pretty promptly and clear out as he was told.

It was not till after the year 1815 that the Government began seriously to make continuous headway in its efforts to cope with the smuggling evil.  Consider the times.  Between the years 1652 and 1816 there were years and years of wars by land or by sea.  There were the three great Anglo-Dutch wars, the wars with France, with Spain, to say nothing of the trouble with America.  They were indeed anxious years that ended only with the Battle of Waterloo, and it was not likely that all this would in any way put a stop to that restlessness which was unmistakable.  Wages were low, provisions were high, and the poorer classes of those days had by no means all the privileges possessed to-day.  Add to this the undoubted fact that literally for centuries there had lived along