t 72,000
criminals were executed.

In bygone times were observed some curious ordinances for the conduct of
the Court of Admiralty of the Humber. Enumerated are the various
offences of a maritime character, and their punishment. In view of the
character of the court, the punishment was generally to be inflicted at
low-water mark, so as to be within the proper jurisdiction of the
Admiralty, the chief officer of which, the Admiral of the Humber, being
from the year 1451, the Mayor of Hull. The court being met, and
consisting of "masters, merchants, and mariners, with all others that do
enjoy the King's stream with hook, net, or any engine," were addressed
as follows: "You masters of the quest, if you, or any of you, discover
or disclose anything of the King's secret counsel, or of the counsel of
your fellows (for the present you are admitted to be the King's
Counsellors), you are to be, and shall be, had down to the low-water
mark, where must be made three times, O Yes! for the King, and then and
there this punishment, by the law prescribed, shall be executed upon
them; that is, their hands and feet bound, their throats cut, their
tongues pulled out, and their bodies thrown into the sea." The
ordinances which they were bound to observe, include the following: "You
shall inquire, whether any man in port or creek have stolen any ropes,
nets, cords, etc., amounting to the value of ninepence; if he have, he
must be hanged for the said crimes, at low-water mark." "If any person
has removed the anchor of any ships, without licence of the master or
mariners, or both, or if anyone cuts the cable of a ship at anchor, or
removes or cuts away a buoy; for any of the said offences, he shall be
hanged at low-water mark." "All breakers open of chests, or pickers of
locks, coffers, or chests, etc., on shipboard, if under the value of one
and twenty pence, they shall suffer forty days' imprisonment; but, if
above, they must be hanged as aforesaid." "If any loderman takes upon
himself the rule of any ship, and she perishes through his carelessness
and negligence, if he comes to land alive with two of his company, they
two may chop off his head without any further suit with the King or his
Admiralty." The sailor element of the population of the olden days was
undeniably rude and refractory, the above rules showing that the
authorities needed stern and swift measures to repress evildoers of that
class.

A curious Derbyshire story is told,