A HARBINGER OF THE REVOLUTION 109 



the provisions of the Act in the strongest manner. All 

 commanders and other officers of British ships of war in 

 American waters received authority from the crown to act 

 in the capacity of customs officers. The naval officers were 

 in most cases unfamiliar with the laws that they were 

 called upon to administer; the result of their ignorance, 

 coupled with their zeal to execute the laws against smug- 

 gling, led to many serious blunders. 1 Boston, Salem, 

 Gloucester and Portland, especially, were the scenes of 

 collision between the novices of the customs service and 

 the indignant masters of trading vessels. The British 

 naval officers "seized indiscriminately, and confiscated all 

 ships, whether American or foreign,' that were engaged 

 in the carrying trade in which they had been unmolested 

 for years. Before the close of the year seizures and con- 

 fiscations had been made to the extent of over $15,000, one- 

 third of which was appropriated by Governor Bernard, 

 with the effect of heightening the animosities already raised 

 against him. 2 



This determined effort on the part of the ministry and 

 customs officials to exterminate illicit trade apparently 

 stimulated rather than checked its continuance. The 

 native shrewdness of Yankee skippers was usually a match 

 for the bustling zeal of British officials. One scheme that 

 was resorted to for avoiding the payment of revenue was 

 the use of what were called "Anguilla clearances.' As 

 usual the cargoes of fish would be taken to the French 

 West Indies and exchanged for molasses. Then the vessel 

 would be taken to the little English island of Anguilla. 

 This island, with an area of thirty-four square miles, was 

 too small to furnish more than a single cargo of molasses 

 yearly, a fact well known to the collectors of New Eng- 

 land. The governor of the island was also collector, and 



iGrahame, History of the United States, IV, pp. 175-176. 

 2 Minot, II, p. 168. 



