the wood, some of them in various forms
of disguise. One had a deer's skin over his face, others had their
faces and hands coloured with blue clay and other means. These men
angrily demanded from the solitary officer the sails which he had
removed from the boat, but their requests were met by refusal. The mob
then seized hold of the sails, and a tussle followed, whereupon the
officer threatened to shoot them. He managed to retain hold of one
sail, while the mob held the other and took it away.

About three o'clock in the afternoon the other officer returned with
the Lymington Preventive officer, two Custom House men, and three
dragoons. They found the intoxicated soldiers, one of whom was lying
prostrate on the field, while the other was ludicrously and vainly
endeavouring to mount his horse. The seven men now united, and got a
rope by which they began to remove the boat from its hiding-place,
when a great many more people came on to the scene in great
indignation. As many as fifty, at least, were now assembled, and
threats and oaths were bandied about. During this excitement some of
the crowd cut the rope, while a man named Thomas Vye jumped into the
boat, and rather than see her fall into the hands of the enemy,
endeavoured to stave her in.

The remainder of the story is but brief. For, at last, the seven men
succeeded in pulling the boat away in spite of all the crowd's
efforts, and dragged it even across a couple of fields, where there
was a road. Here a conveyance was waiting ready, and thus the boat was
taken away, and at a later date Vye was duly prosecuted by the Crown
for his share in the proceedings.

FOOTNOTES:

[20] "Gays" was evidently trade slang to denote bandanna silk
handkerchiefs, which were frequently smuggled, and some of which were
found on board.

CHAPTER XVI

ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

By an Order in Council of May 5, 1821, it was directed that henceforth
all sums which were awarded for arrests on shore of any person
concerned in smuggling should be paid in the following proportions. He
who made the arrest was to have three-quarters of the reward, which
was to be divided into equal proportions if there were more than one
person. If there were any officer or officers present at the time of
arrest, these were to have one quarter of the reward. The officer
commanding the party was to have two shares, each of the other
officers having one share. The reward payable for a smuggler convict