But my own opinion relative to the firing of the first gun is in favour of the proposition that this was not necessarily unshotted.  I shall refer in greater detail to the actual incidents, here quoted, on a later page, but for our present purpose the following is strong proof in favour of this suggestion.  During a trial in the year 1840 (Attorney-General v.  William Evans) it transpired that Evans had entered the Medway in a smack without heaving-to, and the following questions and answers respectively were made by counsel and Richard Braddy, a coastguard who at the time of the incident was on duty at Garrison Fort (Sheerness):—­

Question. “Is the first signal a shot always?”

Answer. “A blank cartridge we fire mostly.”

Q. “Did you fire a blank?”

A. “No, because she was going too fast away from me.”

Q. “Did you hit her?”

A. “No.”

To me it seems certain from this evidence of the coastguard that though the first signal was “mostly” blank, yet it was not always or necessarily so.

It was frequently discovered that smuggling vessels lay off the coast some distance from the shore and unshipped their cargoes then into smaller craft by which they were brought to land, and this practice was often observed by the Naval officers at the signal stations.  Thus, these smuggling runs might be prevented if those officers were enabled to apprise the Admiralty and Revenue cruisers whenever observed, so the Treasury put themselves in communication with the Customs Board with regard to so important a matter.  This was in the year 1807.  The Admiralty were requested to appoint some signals by which Naval officers stationed at the various signal-posts along the coasts might be able to convey information to his Majesty’s and the Revenue cruisers whenever vessels were observed illegally discharging cargoes.  The Admiralty accordingly did as requested, and these signals were sent on to the commanders of the cutters.  This, of course, opened up a new matter in regard to the apportioning of prize-money, and it was decided that when any vessel or goods discharged therefrom should be seized by any of the cruisers in consequence of information given by signal from these stations, and the vessel and her goods afterwards were condemned, one-third of the amount of the King’s share was to be paid to the officer and men at the signal-post whence such information was first communicated.  The obvious intention of this regulation was to incite the men ashore to keep a smart look-out.