sents an effort to look at these exploits as they
were and not as a novelist likes to think they might have occurred.

Perhaps there is hardly an Englishman who was not thrilled in his
boyhood days by Marryat and others when they wrote of the King's
Cutters and their foes. It is hoped that the following pages will not
merely revive pleasant recollections but arouse a new interest in the
adventures of a species of sailing craft that is now, like the brig
and the fine old clipper-ship, past and done with.

The reader will note that in the Appendices a considerable amount of
interesting data has been collected. This has been rendered possible
only with great difficulty, but it is believed that in future years
the dimensions and details of a Revenue Cutter's construction, the
sizes of her spars, her tonnage, guns, &c., the number of her crew
carried, the names and dates of the fleets of cutters employed will
have an historical value which cannot easily be assessed in the
present age that is still familiar with sailing craft.

In making researches for the preparation of this volume I have to
express my deep sense of gratitude to the Honourable Commissioners of
the Board of Customs for granting me permission to make use of their
valuable records; to Mr. F.S. Parry C.B., Deputy Chairman of the Board
for his courtesy in placing a vast amount of data in my hands, and for
having elucidated a good many points of difficulty; and, finally, to
Mr. Henry Atton, Librarian of the Custom House, for his great
assistance in research.

E. KEBLE CHATTERTON.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. THE EARLIEST SMUGGLERS 14

III. THE GROWTH OF SMUGGLING 40

IV. THE SMUGGLERS' METHODS 56

V. THE HAWKHURST GANG 82

VI. THE REVENUE CRUISERS 94

VII. CUTTERS AND SLOOPS 121

VIII. PREVENTIVE ORGANISATION 138

IX. CUTTERS' EQUIPMENT 157

X. THE INCREASE IN SMUGGLING 182

XI. THE SMUGGLERS AT SEA 199

XII. THE WORK OF THE CUTTERS 215

XIII. THE PERIOD OF INGENUITY 239

XIV. SOME INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS 257