gglers themselves were at
work. Consequently some of these contests represent the best incidents
in the whole history of smuggling.

But it was not always that the Revenue cruisers and Preventive boats
were in the right. There were occasions when the commanders suffered
from too much zeal, though certainly these were quite exceptional.
There is the case of the _Drencher_ which well illustrates this. She
was a Dutch vessel which had been on her voyage to Italy, and was now
returning home up the English Channel with a cargo of oil, bound for
Amsterdam. Being somewhat square and ample of form, with the
characteristic bluff bows much beloved by her countrymen, and being
also very foul on her bottom through long voyaging, she was only a
dull sailer.[23] And such being the case, when she fell in with head
winds her skipper and part-owner, Peter Crook, decided to let go
anchor under Dungeness, where many a sailing craft then, as to-day,
has taken shelter in similar circumstances.

Whilst she was at anchor waiting for a favourable slant, one of the
numerous fishing-boats which are always to be seen hereabouts came
alongside the _Drencher_[24] and asked the skipper if he required any
assistance. Crook replied that if the wind was still ahead, and he was
compelled to remain there till the next day, he would want some fuel
for his stove. The fisherman sold some of his catch to the Dutchman,
and then went on his way.

But soon after this a boat in the Preventive service, commanded by a
Mr. MacTavish, a midshipman, came alongside and boarded the
_Drencher_. The midshipman inquired what the Dutchman had had to do
with the fishing-boat, and Crook answered that he had done nothing
except to purchase some fish. But this did not satisfy Mr. MacTavish,
who proceeded now to examine what was on board. Of course he found
some casks of spirits, and asked Crook how they came to be there, to
which Crook answered that they had been found floating in a former
voyage and he had picked them up. This looked doubtful, but it was
quite probable, for often the weights of stones from sunken tubs broke
adrift and the tubs floated up to the surface. Especially was this the
case after bad weather.

We can well understand the midshipman's suspicions, and need not be
surprised to learn that he felt justified in seizing the ship because
of these tubs found on board. He had the anchor broken out, the sails
hoisted, and took her first into Dover, and after