Pioneer_. To show what liars
these smugglers could become, one of these two said he was a
Frenchman, but his name was the very British-sounding William
Stevenson. The other said he was a Dutchman. Stevenson could speak
not a word of French, but he understood English perfectly, and said
that part of the cargo was intended for England and part for Ireland,
which happened to be the truth, as we shall see presently. He also
added that of the crew of eight three were Dutchmen and five English,
for he had by now forgotten his own alleged nationality.

Prior to the arrival of Mr. Case's boat the lugger had hoisted out her
tub-boat and rowed away as fast as the waves would let her, with all
the crew except these two. She was found to have a cargo of tobacco
and tea, as well as Geneva, all being made up into suitable dimensions
for landing. On examining the ship's papers it was indicated that she
was bound for Bilbao in Spain. But these papers had evidently been
obtained in readiness for such an occurrence as the advent of the
schooner. When it is mentioned that this lugger was only a large
galley with absolutely no deck whatever, and capable of being rowed by
ten men, it was hardly credible that she would be the kind of craft to
sail round Ushant and across the Bay of Biscay. "Was she calculated to
carry a cargo to Spain?" asked counsel at the trial two years later.
"I will risk my experience as a sailor," answered one of the
witnesses, "that I would not have risked my life in a boat of that
description."

But, unfortunately for the smugglers, there was discovered on board a
tin box which absolutely gave their case away. In this tin box was
found an instructive memorandum which it requires no very great
ingenuity to decipher, and ran something as follows:--

"For B. Valden.

From Tusca Tower to Blackwater Hill, allowing half a point for the
tide.

For W. Martensons Glyn.

From Tusca N.E. until Tara Hill bears N.W.

10 pieces of chocolate 10 gulders.
10 pieces of gays[20] 10 ditto.

A proportion of G., say one-third, and let it be strong as
possible. A vessel coming in the daytime should come to anchor
outside the banks.
At Clocker Head, Bryan King.
At the Mountain Fort, Henry Curran.
And Racklen, Alexander M'Donald."

Now anyone on consulting a chart or map of the south-west and west of
the British Isles can easily see that the above was just a crude form
of sailing direc