a number of tenders in this neighbourhood, since they drew less water than the sloops-of-war and so would be more useful for a locality that was not well supplied with deep harbours.  Moreover, these tenders would be well able to take the ground in the harbours which dried out.  Such craft as the latter were of about 160 tons, mounted twelve to fourteen carriage guns, and were manned by a captain, second officer, two mates, two quartermasters, a gunner, a boatswain, carpenter, surgeon, and forty seamen.

From the south-east corner of England came reports not much better.  Just before the close of the year 1743 the Surveyor at Margate and his men were out on duty along the coast one night when five of them came upon a gang of about twenty-five smugglers.  An encounter quickly ensued, and as the latter were well armed they were, by their superior numbers, able to give the officers a severe beating, especially in the case of one unfortunate “whose head is in such a miserable condition that the Surveyor thought proper to put him under the care of a surgeon.”  Both this Surveyor and the one at Ramsgate asserted that the smugglers were accustomed to travel in such powerful gangs, and at the same time were so well armed, that it was impossible to cope with them, there being seldom less than thirty in a gang “who bid defiance to all the officers when they met them.”

On the 7th April 1746, the Collector and Controller of the Customs at Sandwich wrote to the Board: 

“We further beg leave to acquaint your Honours that yesterday about four o’clock in the afternoon a large gang of near 100 smuglers [sic] with several led horses went thro’ this town into the island of Thanet, where we hear they landed their goods, notwithstanding that we took all possible care to prevent them.

“P.S.—­This moment we have advice that there is a gang of 200 smugglers more at St. Peter’s in the Isle of Thanet.”

Seven months later in that year, at nine o’clock one November morning, a gang of 150 smugglers managed to land some valuable cargo from a couple of cutters on to the Sandwich flats.  Several Revenue officers were despatched into the country for the purpose of meeting with some of the stragglers.  The officers came into collision with a party of these men and promptly seized two horse-loads of goods consisting of five bags of tea and eight half-ankers of wine.  But they were only allowed to retain this seizure for half-an-hour, inasmuch as the smugglers presently overpowered the Revenue men and wrested back their booty.  The preventive men were also considerably knocked about, and one of them had his thumb badly dislocated.  The officers declared that they knew none of the people, the latter being well supplied not with firearms but with great clubs.  A fortnight later, just a few miles farther along the coast, a gang of 150 smugglers succeeded in landing their goods at Reculvers near Birchington; and ten days later still