It was further pointed out at the trial that the luggers could not have been bound on the voyage alleged, for they had not enough provisions on board.  The Solicitor-General also demonstrated the fact that when these luggers were approached in deep water—­that is, of course after the three hours’ chase—­they could not possibly have been making for Guernsey.  The farther they stood from the shore the greater would be their danger, for they would be likely at any hour to fall in with the enemy’s privateers which were known to be cruising not far off.

But to return to the point in the narrative when we digressed.  Captain Stewart, a quarter of an hour before finally coming up with the I.O., had fired several times to cause her to heave-to, but this they declined to do, and all her crew but one deserted her as stated.  Leaving one of his own men on board her the naval officer, after marking her with a broad arrow to indicate she had been seized, went with his four remaining men in pursuit of the second lugger, which was rowing away with all haste, and alongside which the I.O.’s boat was lying.  But, as soon as Stewart began to approach, the men now quitted the lugger and rowed back to the I.O. He opened fire at them, but they still persisted, and seeing this he continued to pursue the second lugger, boarded her and seized her, the time being now about 6.30 A.M.

Afterwards he waited until his other boat had come up, and left her crew in charge of this second lugger, and then rowed off to the first lugger again, but once more the I.O.’s people deserted her and rowed towards the shore.  Undaunted he then went in pursuit of the third lugger, but as a breeze came up she managed to get away.  Presently he was able to hail a neutral vessel who gave him a passage back, and at midday he rejoined the I.O., which was subsequently taken captive into Dover, and at a later date ordered to be condemned.  She had belonged to Deal and was no doubt in the regular smuggling industry.

Then there was the case of the lugger Polly, which occurred in January of 1808.  Because vessels of this kind were, from their construction, their size, and their rig especially suitable for running goods, they were now compelled to have a licence before being allowed to navigate at all.  This licence was given on condition that she was never to be found guilty of smuggling, nor to navigate outside certain limits, the object of course being to prevent her from running backwards and forwards across the English and Irish Channels.  In the present instance the Polly had been licensed to navigate and trade, to fish and to carry pilots between Bexhill and coastwise round Great Britain, but not to cross the Channels.  To this effect her master, William Bennett, had entered in a bond.  But on the date mentioned she was unfortunately actually discovered at the island of Alderney, and it was obvious that she was there for