'clock in the afternoon, about eight or nine miles E.S.E.
After she had come up she was boarded by the _Cameleon_, and was found
to have one passenger, whom the _Cameleon's_ commander described as an
Englishman "of a most suspicious appearance." But after being searched
she was found perfectly "clean" and free from any appearance of tubs
or smell of spirits. The Revenue cutter's commander therefore formed
the opinion that the _Georges_ was fitted with some concealments
somewhere. In order to discover these, it would be essential for the
craft to be hauled ashore. He therefore did not detain her, but, as
she was bound for Portsmouth, put an officer and a couple of men
aboard her till she should arrive at that port. One thing which had
aroused suspicions was the finding on board of exceptionally large
fend-offs. These were just the kind which were used by smuggling ships
accustomed to be met at sea by smaller craft, into which the casks
were transferred and then rowed ashore. And what was more suspicious
still was the fact that these fend-offs were found wet; so they had
most probably been used recently in a seaway when some tub-boats had
been alongside the _Georges_.

Somehow or other, when she arrived at Portsmouth, although the matter
was duly reported, it was not thought necessary to haul her ashore,
but she was carefully examined afloat. The English passenger found
aboard gave the name of Mitchell, but he was suspected of being
Robinson, a notorious Bognor smuggler. And it was now further believed
that the _Georges_ had sunk her "crop" of tubs somewhere near the
Owers (just south of Selsey Bill), as on the morning of the day when
the _Cameleon_ sighted her a vessel answering her description was seen
in that vicinity.

On that occasion, then, the _Georges_ could not be detained, and we
next hear of her on May 3, when again she set forth from Cherbourg.
She had no doubt taken on board a fine cargo, for she had a burthen of
thirty-one tons, and this she managed in some mysterious manner to
land in England. There can be no doubt that she did succeed in
hoodwinking the Revenue service for a time, but it is probable that
she employed largely the method of sinking the tubs, which were
afterwards recovered in the manner already familiar to the reader. At
any rate, Lieutenant Owen, R.N., writing on May 9 from the Ryde
coastguard station to Captain Langtry, R.N., his inspecting commander,
reported that this _Georges_ had arr