every
day just after sunset and so form a guard along the coast during the
night. In the morning, just before sunrise, the men were to be put on
board their ships once more. So the experiment was tried and was
found to be so successful that this method of guarding the coast was
adopted by a Treasury Minute of June 19, 1817. The district between
the Forelands was assigned to Captain M'Culloch, who had with him the
officers and crew of H.M.S. _Severn_. Those boats and men which had
belonged to the Preventive service stationed between the Forelands
were withdrawn, and the entire protection of this district was left to
Captain M'Culloch's force. This was known as the Coast Blockade, and
was afterwards extended as just mentioned to Sheppey and Seaford.

If we may anticipate for a moment in order to preserve continuity, let
us add that in the year 1821 this span of coast was divided into
three, each division being subdivided into four districts. The
divisions were under the superintendence of a senior lieutenant, a
midshipman, one petty officer of the first class and one of the
second. The districts, on the other hand, were under the
superintendence of a junior lieutenant. The men were divided into
parties of ten, each party having about a mile of coastline, and
guard-houses were established along the coast at a distance of about
every four miles. The seamen volunteered into the service, and, if
found effective, of good character, but had no relatives in the
neighbourhood, they were accepted. The object of this last condition
was to prevent their showing any sympathy with the smugglers of the
district. These men undertook to serve for three years, and for
payment of wages they were borne on the books of any of his Majesty's
ships.

We can thus see how gradually the influence of the Admiralty had been
exerted over the Preventive work which had been carried on by the
Customs. There are then three steps. First in assisting the Revenue
cruisers, and, lastly, by taking charge of the Land-guard. The proof
of the wisdom of this change was seen in results, for the Revenue
derived better protection because of the Admiralty influence. There
was better discipline, greater activity, and a smarter look-out was
kept. Thus it came about that in that very south-eastern district
which had been for so long a time notorious for its nefarious trade,
the smugglers found their calling a very difficult one. And both these
changes in respect of c