A TRAGIC INCIDENT
And now we must turn to an occurrence that was rather more tragic than
the last, though the smugglers had only themselves to blame.
The reader is already aware of the practice existing at this time of
actually rowing contraband across from France to England in large
boats pulling four or more oars. As one who have myself rowed a craft
most of the way from Calais to Dover in a flat calm, I cannot
altogether envy the smugglers their job. However, on May 11, 1818,
Captain Hawtayne, commanding H.M.S. _Florida_, was cruising in the
English Channel on the look-out for contraband craft. Evidently he had
received certain information, for at eight o'clock that evening he
ordered Mr. Keith Stewart, master's mate, to man one of the ship's
boats and to intercept any boat that might leave the French coast that
looked at all of a suspicious nature.
This order was duly obeyed. A galley was observed some time before,
which had no doubt aroused Captain Hawtayne's suspicions. This galley
had been seen to come out of Calais harbour and to be rowed towards
the westward. But she must have spotted the _Florida_, for she very
shortly put back. But before long Mr. Stewart's boat fell in with
another craft--a long white galley named the _St. Thomas_. This was
now about 1 A.M., and for a time the _St. Thomas_ had the impudence to
pretend she was a French police boat. When descried she was about five
or six miles to the N.N.W. of Cape Blanc Nez, and was steering to the
westward. The night was dark, for the moon had disappeared behind a
cloud as Mr. Stewart's boat came up alongside and hailed the strange
craft. He began by asking what boat she was. The steersman replied by
inquiring what boat Mr. Stewart's was. The latter answered that it was
the King's boat.
At that time the _St. Thomas's_ sails were up, and now Mr. Stewart
ordered the steersman to lower them. He made no answer, but, turning
round to his crew exhorted them to pull quickly, saying, "Give way, my
boys, give way." Thereupon the smugglers cheered and pulled as hard as
they could. Mr. Stewart again ordered the steersman to lower sail,
adding that should he fail to do so he would fire at him. But this did
not awe the _St. Thomas_. "Fire and be damned," answered the
steersman. "If you fire, I will fire. We are as well armed as you
are." Stewart held his hand and did not fire, but ordered his men to
pull closer. Coming alongside, he addressed the steersman, saying it
was absolutely essential that he should examine the _St. Thomas_ and
that he knew they were Englishmen, adding that he was unwilling that
there should be any bloodshed by firing into the boat.
[Illustration: "Fire and be damned."]
With this the _Florida_'s boat pulled up on the other's quarter, and
the bowmen hooked on with the boat-hook. The _St. Thomas's_ steersman
knocked the boat-hook away and threatened to shoot the bowman if he
did not let go. For a short time thereafter the boats separated and
drifted apart. But a second time his Majesty's boat pulled up
alongside, and Mr. Stewart jumped forward into the bows and ordered
one of his own men to stand by ready to accompany him on board. The
steersman of the other, however, was determined, and resisted
Stewart's attempt, at the same time presenting a pistol and
threatening to shoot the officer if he advanced one step further.
On that the men of _St. Thomas_ ceased rowing, drew in their oars, and
rushed aft to where the steersman was standing in the stern. Matters
began to look ugly, and being convinced that these men were bent on
desperate resistance, Mr. Stewart was compelled to fire with his
pistol at the steersman, who immediately fell. Stewart instantly leapt
aboard, but was nearly jostled into the sea by two of the enemy. He
ordered the whole of this crew to go forward, but they declined to
obey, and followed this up by threatening that if they still refused
he would have to use his sword and cut them down. The only member of
his own crew who had already got aboard as well was his coxswain, and
owing either to himself or the action of the coxswain in stepping from
one boat to the other, the two craft had drifted apart, and for a time
there was considerable risk that the men, who were obvious smugglers,
would fall on these two. But the naval officer had already cut down
two of their number with his sword, and after that the rest went
forward and were obedient. The _St. Thomas_ was rather a large craft
of her kind. Additional to her sails, she rowed five on one side, six
on the other, and also had a steersman, the additional oarsman being
no doubt placed according to the tide so that his work might in some
measure counteract the great leeway which is made by small vessels
crossing the strong tidal stream of the English Channel.
As all was now quiet on board, Mr. Stewart searched her and found she
was laden with kegs, which, said the crew, were filled with tea and
tobacco, these kegs being as usual already slung for putting ashore or
sinking. Later on it was found that out of this crew no less than six
were English, besides one man who had been born at Flushing of English
parentage, though he called himself a Dutchman. The rest were all
foreigners. No one can read such an incident as this without
regretting that they should have ever led to slaughter. It is a
serious thing to take any man's life when there is no warfare, and it
is still more dismal if that man is of the same nationality as the one
who deals death. If the whole of the _St. Thomas's_ crew had been
killed there could have been no blame on Mr. Stewart, for he was only
carrying out his orders and acting in self-defence. The smugglers were
fully aware they were in the wrong, and they were responsible for any
consequences that might accrue. The officer had given them ample
warning, and he had only used severe measures when absolutely
compelled.
But there is a more satisfactory side to this regrettable incident,
which one is only too glad to be able to record. The man who had been
so badly wounded desired to speak to Mr. Stewart, and when the latter
had approached him he turned to him and said:
"You've killed me; sir, I'm dying."
Mr. Stewart saw that this was perfectly true, and that the man was in
no sense exaggerating.
"Well, I'm sorry for it," he said, "but it was your own fault."
"Yes," answered the dying man, "I know that, but I hope you won't make
things worse than they are. I freely forgive you."
This was the steersman who had so strenuously opposed the boarding of
the _St. Thomas_. We can quite sympathise with the feelings of Mr.
Stewart, and be thankful that those lawless days of violence have long
since passed. If you talk with any of the Revenue officers still
living who were employed in arresting, lying in wait for, receiving
information concerning, and sometimes having a smart fight with the
smugglers, you will be told how altogether hateful it was to have to
perform such a duty. It is such incidents as the above which knock all
romance out of the smuggling incidents. An encounter with fisticuffs,
a few hard blows, and an arrest after a smart chase or a daring
artifice, whilst not lessening the guilt of smuggling, cannot take
away our interest. Our sympathies all the time are with the Revenue
men, because they have on their side right, and in the long-run right
must eventually conquer might. But, as against this, the poorer
classes in those days were depressed in ignorance with low ideals, and
lacking many of the privileges which no thinking man to-day would
refuse them. And because they were so daring and so persistent,
because they had so much to lose and (comparatively speaking) so
little really to gain, we extend to them a portion of our sympathy and
a large measure of our interest. They were entirely in the wrong, but
they had the right stuff in them for making the best kind of English
sailormen, the men who helped to win our country's battles, and to
make her what she is to-day as the owner of a proud position in the
world of nations.
Ten of these twelve men were taken as prisoners to the _Florida_, and
the _St. Thomas_ with her cargo still aboard were towed by the
_Florida_ into Yarmouth Roads, and there delivered to the Collector of
Customs. She was found to be a 54-foot galley--a tremendous length for
an oared craft--with no deck, and rigged with three lugsails and jib,
her size working out at about 11 tons burthen. On delivering the cargo
at Yarmouth it was found that there were altogether 207 kegs. The ten
uninjured prisoners were taken before the Yarmouth magistrates, and
the two whom the officer had cut down were sent on shore immediately
the _Florida_ arrived in that port. The English steersman, to whose
case we call special attention, died, two others were fined £100 each,
two were sent to gaol, and one, who was the son of the man who died,
was liberated, as it was shown that he had only been a passenger. The
man who had been born of English parents at Flushing was also set
free, as the magistrates had not sufficient proof that he was a
British subject.
A few months prior to the above occurrence Lieutenant John Wood Rouse
was in command of his Majesty's schooner _Pioneer_. On the 11th of
January 1817 he was cruising between Dungeness and Point St. Quintin,
when his attention was drawn to a lugger whose name we may state by
anticipation was the _Wasp_. She appeared to be making for the English
coast on a N.W. bearing, and was distant about six miles. In order to
cut her off and prevent her from making the shore Lieutenant Rouse
sent one of his men named Case with a galley to cross her bows. At the
same time he also despatched another of his boats under the care of a
Mr. Walton to make directly for the lugger. This occurred about 10
A.M., and the chase continued till about 3.45 P.M., when the schooner
came alongside the lugger that had, by this time, been seized by Mr.
Case. Lieutenant Rouse was then careful to take bearings of the land,
and fixed his position so that there should be no dispute as to
whether the lugger were seized within the legal limits.
On capturing the lugger, only two persons were found on board, and
these were at once transferred to the _Pioneer_. To show what liars
these smugglers could become, one of these two said he was a
Frenchman, but his name was the very British-sounding William
Stevenson. The other said he was a Dutchman. Stevenson could speak
not a word of French, but he understood English perfectly, and said
that part of the cargo was intended for England and part for Ireland,
which happened to be the truth, as we shall see presently. He also
added that of the crew of eight three were Dutchmen and five English,
for he had by now forgotten his own alleged nationality.
Prior to the arrival of Mr. Case's boat the lugger had hoisted out her
tub-boat and rowed away as fast as the waves would let her, with all
the crew except these two. She was found to have a cargo of tobacco
and tea, as well as Geneva, all being made up into suitable dimensions
for landing. On examining the ship's papers it was indicated that she
was bound for Bilbao in Spain. But these papers had evidently been
obtained in readiness for such an occurrence as the advent of the
schooner. When it is mentioned that this lugger was only a large
galley with absolutely no deck whatever, and capable of being rowed by
ten men, it was hardly credible that she would be the kind of craft to
sail round Ushant and across the Bay of Biscay. "Was she calculated to
carry a cargo to Spain?" asked counsel at the trial two years later.
"I will risk my experience as a sailor," answered one of the
witnesses, "that I would not have risked my life in a boat of that
description."
But, unfortunately for the smugglers, there was discovered on board a
tin box which absolutely gave their case away. In this tin box was
found an instructive memorandum which it requires no very great
ingenuity to decipher, and ran something as follows:--
"For B. Valden.
From Tusca Tower to Blackwater Hill, allowing half a point for the
tide.
For W. Martensons Glyn.
From Tusca N.E. until Tara Hill bears N.W.
10 pieces of chocolate 10 gulders.
10 pieces of gays[20] 10 ditto.
A proportion of G., say one-third, and let it be strong as
possible. A vessel coming in the daytime should come to anchor
outside the banks.
At Clocker Head, Bryan King.
At the Mountain Fort, Henry Curran.
And Racklen, Alexander M'Donald."
Now anyone on consulting a chart or map of the south-west and west of
the British Isles can easily see that the above was just a crude form
of sailing directions to guide the ship to land the goods at various
places in Ireland, especially when the box also contained a paper to
the following effect:--
"The Land's End to Tusca 135 miles N.N.E.
A berth off Scilly 150 N.E.3/4N."
The ship was to take such goods as mentioned to the above individuals,
and here were the landmarks and courses and the division of the goods.
"A proportion of G," of course, referred to the amount of Geneva, but
the gentleman for whom it was intended did not get it "as strong as
possible." Not one of these places mentioned was within hundreds of
miles of Bilbao, but all the seamarks were to guide the mariners to
Ireland. Tara Hill, Tuscar Rock and so on were certainly not Spanish.
But these instructions were by no means uncommon. They were
technically known among smugglers as "spot-notes," that is to say,
indications of the spots where the goods were to be landed. When
Stevenson found that his captors had become possessed of these papers
he was considerably confused and embarrassed, even going so far as to
ask for them to be given back to him--a request which was naturally
declined.
The lugger was taken captive into Dover, and Stevenson, being an
Englishman, was committed to gaol in the Dover town prison, from which
he succeeded in escaping. The Dutchman was let off, as he was a
foreigner. The men who had rowed away in the tub-boat escaped to
France, having taken with them out of the galley one parcel of
bandanna handkerchiefs. The rule in these cases was to fine the
culprit £100 if he was a landsman; but if he was a sailor he was
impressed into the Navy for a period of five years.
There must be many a reader who is familiar with some of those
delightful creeks of Devonshire and Cornwall, and has been struck with
the natural facilities which are offered to anyone with a leaning for
smuggling. Among these there will rise to the imagination that
beautiful inlet on whose left bank stands Salcombe. Towards the end of
June in the year 1818 William Webber, one of the Riding officers,
received information that some spirits had been successfully run
ashore at the mouth of this harbour, "a place," remarked a legal
luminary of that time, "which is very often made the spot for landing"
this class of goods.
Webber therefore obtained the assistance of a private in the 15th
Regiment, and early in the evening, as he had been informed that the
goods were not yet carried away, but still were lying deposited
somewhere near the beach, proceeded to the spot. He and the hussar
arrived at the place about nine o'clock on this June evening and
managed to conceal themselves behind a hedge. They had not very long
to wait before they heard the sound of some men talking, and a man
named James Thomas was observed to remark:
"We couldn't have had a better time for smuggling if we had lain abed
and prayed for it."
Through the openings in the hedge Webber and the hussar could see the
outline of the delinquent, and the voice was more than familiar to the
Riding officer. We can readily appreciate Thomas's ecstasy when we
remark that it had now become rather dark and a sea-haze such as
frequently comes up in fine weather after a hot day was beginning to
spread itself around. For some time longer the two men continued to
remain in their hiding-place, and then heard that Thomas and his
accomplice had become joined by a number of other people. The sound of
horses' hoofs being led down to the beach was also distinctly heard,
and there were many signs of accelerated activity going on. Presently
there came upon the ears of the Riding officers the noise which
proceeds from the rattling of casks, and from some convenient
hiding-place, where they had remained, these were at last brought
forth, slings were prepared, and then the load was placed on the backs
of the several horses.
At this point, deeming that the time had come to interfere, the Riding
officer and the hussar crept out from their place of concealment and
advanced towards the band of smugglers. But, alert as hares, the
latter, so soon as they realised their own danger, took to their
heels and ran helter-skelter away. Thomas, however, was too wrath to
hasten, and began to curse his men. He began by complaining that the
kegs which had been brought forth were wonderfully "slack," that is to
say they were not as full as they might have been, hinting that
someone had been helping himself to their contents of spirits. "If you
had brought these a little sooner," referring doubtless to both horses
and casks, "we should have been three miles on our way home."
But scarcely had he finished his sentence than the last of his band
had fled, leaving him behind with both horses and casks. He was
promptly arrested and eleven months later prosecuted by the
Attorney-General.
Because the smugglers were so frequently assisted in their work by
those night signals to which we alluded some time back it had been
made a penal offence to show a light for the purpose of signalling
within six miles of the coast. Arising out of such an offence, John
Newton and another found themselves prosecuted for an incident that
occurred about the middle of December 1819. The comparative seclusion
of that big bight which extends from the Bill of Portland to the
promontory well known to many readers as Hope's or Pope's Nose, was
much favoured by the smuggling fraternity. This West Bay was well out
of the English Channel and the track of most of his Majesty's ships,
and there were plenty of hills and high ground from which to show
friendly signals to their comrades. Rattenbury and Cawley, as we
related, had in vain tried to land their cargo hereabouts, though
there were many others who, before the Revenue cutters became smarter
at their duty, had been able to run considerable quantities of
dutiable goods in the vicinity of Sidmouth and Lyme.
On the afternoon of this winter's day two small sailing craft had been
noticed by the Preventive shore officers to be tacking about near the
land, but did not appear to be engaged in fishing. It was therefore
reasonably supposed they were about to run some contraband ashore
after dark. A Mr. Samuel Stagg and a Mr. Joseph Pratt, stationed at
Sidmouth in the Preventive service, were all the time keeping a smart
look-out on these boats, and somewhere about five o'clock in the
evening launched their oared-cutter and rowed off towards them. After
a chase they came alongside the first, which was named the _Nimble_,
and boarded her. They found therein three men consisting of John
Newton, John Bartlett, and Thomas Westlake; but as they searched her
and found no trace of any casks or packages of tobacco, the Preventive
men left her to row after the other craft. It was now, of course,
quite dark, and there was blowing a nice sailing breeze. Scarcely had
they started to row away before the _Nimble_ hoisted sail and by
means of flint and steel began to make fire-signals, and kept on so
doing for the next half hour. This was, of course, a signal for the
second boat, and as soon as the latter observed these signs she also
made sail and hurried away into the darkness of the bay. It was
impossible for the officers to get up to her, for they would stand
every chance of losing themselves in the vast expanse of West Bay, and
the craft might take it into her head to run down Channel perhaps into
Cornwall or eastwards round to Portland, where goods often were
landed. Therefore deeming one craft in arrest to be worth two sailing
about in West Bay, they went back and seized the _Nimble_. The three
men, whose names we have given, were taken ashore, tried, and found
guilty. But as illustrative of the times it is worth noting that John
Bartlett had before this occurrence actually been engaged for some
time as one of the crew of that Revenue cutter about which we spoke
some time back in this very bay. And so, now, "for having on the high
seas, within six miles of the coast, made a certain light on board a
boat for the purpose of giving a signal to a certain person or
persons," he was, in company with his two colleagues, condemned.
That the age of lawless mobs was by no means past, may be seen from
the incident which now follows. It had been thought that the Act which
had been passed, forbidding any boat built to row with more than four
oars, would have put a considerable check to activities of the
smugglers. But these boats not only continued to be built, but also to
be navigated and used for the contraband purposes. The Revenue
officers of the district of Christchurch, Hants, had reason in April
of 1821 to believe that a boat was being constructed in their
neighbourhood of such dimensions and capable of being rowed with such
a number of oars as made her liable to seizure. Therefore, taking with
them a couple of dragoons, two of these Revenue officers proceeded on
their way to the district near Milton, which is, roughly speaking, the
centre of that bay which is bounded on one side by Christchurch Head,
and on the other by Hurst Point. They had not arrived long at their
destination before it was found that about thirty men had concealed
themselves in an adjoining wood. The officers had found the boat they
were looking for in a meadow, and were about to seize it.
It was found to be covered over with sails, having been hidden in the
meadow for safety's sake, for since it was made to row seven aside it
was clearly liable to forfeiture. One of the two officers now went off
to fetch assistance, and whilst he was away two of the smugglers came
forth and fraternising with the two dragoons, offered them some brandy
which they drank. In a short while both soldiers had taken such a
quantity of the spirits that they became utterly intoxicated and
helpless. One of the two smugglers then gave a whistle, and about
thirty men issued forth from the wood, some of them in various forms
of disguise. One had a deer's skin over his face, others had their
faces and hands coloured with blue clay and other means. These men
angrily demanded from the solitary officer the sails which he had
removed from the boat, but their requests were met by refusal. The mob
then seized hold of the sails, and a tussle followed, whereupon the
officer threatened to shoot them. He managed to retain hold of one
sail, while the mob held the other and took it away.
About three o'clock in the afternoon the other officer returned with
the Lymington Preventive officer, two Custom House men, and three
dragoons. They found the intoxicated soldiers, one of whom was lying
prostrate on the field, while the other was ludicrously and vainly
endeavouring to mount his horse. The seven men now united, and got a
rope by which they began to remove the boat from its hiding-place,
when a great many more people came on to the scene in great
indignation. As many as fifty, at least, were now assembled, and
threats and oaths were bandied about. During this excitement some of
the crowd cut the rope, while a man named Thomas Vye jumped into the
boat, and rather than see her fall into the hands of the enemy,
endeavoured to stave her in.
The remainder of the story is but brief. For, at last, the seven men
succeeded in pulling the boat away in spite of all the crowd's
efforts, and dragged it even across a couple of fields, where there
was a road. Here a conveyance was waiting ready, and thus the boat was
taken away, and at a later date Vye was duly prosecuted by the Crown
for his share in the proceedings.
FOOTNOTES:
[20] "Gays" was evidently trade slang to denote bandanna silk
handkerchiefs, which were frequently smuggled, and some of which were
found on board.