s seen in the occurrence
which centred round a certain Mr. Thomas Moore Slade. Mr. Slade was
Agent Victualler for the Chatham Victualling Office, and from his
connection with that department he had the power of employing some of
his Majesty's vessels belonging to the department. This gentleman got
to know that a splendid collection of pictures was about to be
dispersed in France. They were of great value both artistically and
intrinsically, and had belonged to the late Duke of Orleans. Slade
therefore, quite unjustifiably, determined to make use of one of the
craft under his charge for the purpose of fetching these pictures into
the country, and thus cheating the Government of its dues, which would
have been very heavy in this transaction.

The way he went about it was to direct a man named Thomas Cheney, who
commanded the sloop _Grace_ (belonging to the King's Victualling
Office), to get under way and proceed a certain distance from Chatham.
After he had come out of the Medway and had reached the Nore he was to
open a letter which Slade had given him, wherein he would find his
instructions. The _Grace_ in due course hoisted sails and anchor and
found herself out by the Nore. On opening the letter, Cheney was
surprised to find he was directed to proceed to Calais. He informed
the crew, who were very indignant, as they had all thought they were
bound for Deptford. So that night they put back to Sheerness and let
go anchor. The following day, with a reluctant company on board, they
started off again and reached Ramsgate, where they lay all night. On
the third day they crossed the Channel and got into Calais Roads,
anchored, and remained there all night.

It should be added that Slade had taken the precaution to put on
board this sloop before she left England a Mr. Thomas Aldridge, an
expert judge of pictures, his exact description for this voyage being
as supercargo, a term which signifies an officer in a trading vessel
whose duty it is to manage the sales and superintend all the
commercial concerns of the voyage. Having arrived, then, off Calais,
Cheney, Aldridge, and some of the crew proceeded ashore and, guided by
the art expert, went to a certain Monsieur Dessein, who kept an hotel
in that town. From him they obtained a large number of cases
containing the Orleans collection, and brought them off to the
_Grace_. Altogether there were no less than fifteen of these cases,
and although the _Grace_ was a vessel of some