ectability." And by
a different conveyance a sample pint of every cask was to be
transmitted to the same address. The bungs of the casks were to be
secured with a tin-plate, and under a seal of office, each cask being
branded with the letters "G.R.," and the quantity given at the head of
each cask. But those spirits which were seized on land and not on sea
were to be sold by public auction. All smuggling transactions of any
account, and all seizures of any magnitude, and especially all those
which were attended by any attempt to rescue, were to be reported
separately to the Customs Board. Small casks which had contained
seized spirits were, after condemnation, sometimes allowed to fall
into the hands of the smugglers, who used them again for the same
purpose. To put a stop to this it was ordered that these tubs were in
future to be burnt or cut to pieces "as to be only fit for firewood."

Even as early as 1782 considerable frauds were perpetrated by stating
certain imports to be of one nature when they were something entirely
different. For instance a great deal of starch had been imported under
the denomination of flour from Ireland. The Revenue officers were
therefore instructed to discriminate between the two articles by the
following means. Starch "when in flour" and real flour could be
differentiated by putting some of each into a tumbler of water. If the
"flour" were starch it would sink to the bottom and form a hard
substance, if it were real flour then it would turn into a paste.
Starch was also much whiter than flour. And a good deal of spirits,
wine, tea, and tobacco brought into vessels as ship's stores for the
crew were also frequently smuggled ashore. Particularly was this the
case in small vessels from Holland, France, Guernsey, Jersey, and
Alderney.

One day in the month of May, 1814, a fine West Indian ship named the
_Caroline_ set sail from the Island of St. Thomas with a valuable
cargo of dutiable goods, and in due time entered the English Channel.
Before long she had run up the coast and found herself off Fairlight
(between Hastings and Rye). The people on shore had been on the
look-out for this ship, and as soon as the _Caroline_ hove in sight a
boat put off to meet her. Some one threw down a line which was made
fast to the boat, and from the latter several men clambered aboard.
After the usual salutations they accompanied the master of the ship
and went below to the cabin, where some time was spen