another gang of the same size was able to land their goods near Kingsgate, between the North Foreland and Margate.  But it cannot be supposed that the Revenue officers were not aware of the approach of these incidents.  The fact was that they were a little lacking in courage to face these problems on every occasion.  Indeed, they were candid enough to admit that they dared not venture near these ruffians “without the utmost hazard of their lives.”  But the riding-officers were not solely to blame, for where were the Custom House sloops?  How was it they were always absent at these critical times?  Indeed, the Collector and Controller informed the Commissioners that not one of these sloops had been seen cruising between Sandwich and Reculvers for some months past.

This complaint about the cruisers was made in March 1747, and in that same month another gang, two hundred strong, appeared on the coast, but this time, after a smart encounter, the officers secured and placed in the King’s warehouse a ton of tea as well as other goods, and three horses.  A day or two later a gang of smugglers threatened to rescue these goods back again.  The property formed a miscellaneous collection and consisted of fifty pieces of cambric, three bags of coffee, some Flemish linen, tea, clothes, pistols, a blunderbuss, and two musquetoons.  To prevent the smugglers carrying out their intention, however, a strong guard was formed by an amalgamation of all the officers from Sandwich, Ramsgate, and Broadstairs, who forthwith proceeded to Margate.  In addition to these, it was arranged that Commodore Mitchell should send ashore from the Downs as many men as he could spare.  This united front was therefore successful, and for once the smugglers were overmatched.  And but for a piece of bad luck, or sheer carelessness, a couple of years later a smart capture might well have been brought about.  It was one day in August when the officers had received information that a gang of twenty men and horses had appeared near Reculvers to receive goods from a cutter that was seen to be hovering near the coast.  The smugglers on shore were cute enough to locate the officers, and by some means evidently signalled to the cutter, for the latter now put to sea again and the gang cleared off.  Although for some time after this incident both officers and dragoons patrolled the coast in the neighbourhood no one was ever fortunate enough to gather information either as to the cutter or the people who had vanished into the country with such rapidity.

And yet in spite of the very numerous sympathisers which these illicit importers possessed, yet of course there were some individuals who were as much against them as any officer of the Customs.  In the neighbourhood of Plymouth legitimate trade had suffered a great deal owing to these practices.  The mayor, aldermen, and merchants of Saltash were at last compelled to send a memorial to the Lords of the Treasury complaining that in the rivers adjacent to that place there were