e 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