But in spite of the seizures which the officers on land from time to time effected, and notwithstanding the shortcomings of the Custom House cruisers in regard to speed, and the frequent negligence of their commanders, it still remains true that these cutters and sloops, at any rate until about the year 1822 (when the Coastguard service was instituted) continued to be the principal and the most important of all the machinery set in motion against the smugglers.  We have seen this service in working order as far back as the year 1674, at any rate, when the fleet consisted of only hired vessels.  We have also seen that they were employed in sufficient numbers all round the coast, and that the Customs authorities, not content merely to hire such vessels, also presently obtained some of their own.  It is possible that the smacks were used for such service even before the date 1674—­perhaps very soon after Charles came to the throne—­but there are no existing records of this to make the matter certain.  The Revenue preventive work, in so far as the cruisers were employed, was carried on by a mixed control, and embraced six separate and distinct types:—­

1.  There were the English Custom House smacks, cutters, and sloops, some of which were hired vessels:  others were actually owned by the English Customs Board.

2.  There were the English Excise cruisers, which were controlled by the English Excise Board.  They appeared to be very similar to the craft in the first class.

3.  There were the Scottish Customs cruisers, under the control of the Scottish Customs Board.  The official at the head of these was known as the Agent for yachts.

4.  There were the Scottish Excise cruisers, controlled by the Scottish Excise Board.

5.  There were the Irish Revenue cruisers, controlled by the Irish Customs and Excise.

6.  And lastly, there were these vessels of the Royal Navy which were employed to assist the Revenue, such vessels consisting of ships of the fifth-rate, sixth-rate, and especially the armed sloops.

In the present volume it has been necessary, owing to the limits of our space, to restrict our consideration of cruisers chiefly to the most important of these, viz. those of the English Custom House and those of the Royal Navy.  Under such a mixed rule it was obvious that many difficulties arose, and that the clashing of interests was not infrequent.  For instance, between the English Custom House cruisers and the English Excise cruisers there was about as much friendship as there exists usually between a dog and a cat.  Similarly between the former and the Naval cruisers there was considerable jealousy, and every display of that pompous, bombastic exhibition of character which was such a feature of the life of the eighteenth century, and the first years of the next.