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 ea