urs
which are to be employed for cruisers. These are such as were then
allowed in the Navy, viz. black, red, white, or yellow.

But apart from all the manifold difficulties and anxieties, both
general and detailed, which arose in connection with these cruisers so
long as they were at sea or in the shipwrights' hands, in commission
or out of commission, there were others which applied more strictly to
their crews. Such an incident as occurred in the year 1785 needed very
close attention. In that year the English Ambassador at the Court of
France had been informed by Monsieur de Vergennes that parties of
sailors belonging to our Revenue cruisers had recently landed near
Boulogne in pursuit of some smugglers who had taken to the shore.
Monsieur de Vergennes added that if any British sailors or other armed
men should be taken in such acts of violence the French Government
would unhesitatingly sentence them immediately to be hanged.

Of course the French Government were well within their rights in
making such representations, for natural enough as no doubt it was to
chase the smugglers when they escaped ashore, yet the trespass was
indefensible. The Board of Customs therefore instructed their
cruisers, as well as those of the Admiralty "whose commanders are
furnished with commissions from this Board," to make a note of the
matter, in order that neither they nor their men might inadvertently
expose themselves to the severity denounced against them by the
French laws upon acts of the like nature.

In 1812 one of the mariners belonging to a cruiser happened to go
ashore, and whilst there was seized by the press-gang for his
Majesty's Navy. Such an occurrence as this was highly inconvenient not
only to the man but to the Board of Customs, who resolved that
henceforth the commanders of cruisers were not to allow any of their
mariners shore leave unless in case of absolute necessity "until the
protections which may be applied for shall have been received and in
possession of such mariners."

Another matter that required rectification was the practice of taking
on board some of their friends and relatives who had no right to be
there. Whether this was done for pleasure or profit the carrying of
these passengers was deemed to be to the great detriment of the
service, and the Board put a stop to it. It was not merely confined to
the cruisers, but the boats and galleys of the Waterguard were just as
badly abused. The one exceptio