118 THE JERSEY COAST. 
“ How far can you reach a ship with the cannon ?” 
we inquired. 
“The line, you know, is fastened to the ball with a 
short wire, so that it won’t burn off, and is coiled up 
beside the gun, and of course it keeps the ball back, 
and then people forget we always have to fire against 
the wind, as vessels are never wrecked with the wind 
off shore; so although the guns are expected to 
carry five hundred yards, they will not carry more 
than one hundred and eighty. That is enough, 
though, if they only have the right sort of men to 
manage them; but how is a landsman to tell whether 
he must use the cannon or is safe in going off in the 
boat? In one case, while the station-master was try- 
ing to drag his cannon down to a ship, a party of us 
took a common boat and landed her crew and pas- 
sengers before he arrived. I don’t care about 
the pay, for I kept it three years without; but I 
hate to see lives sacrificed for politics. Would 
you like to see the medal they gave to the old 
man ?” 
We responded in the affirmative ; and he soon pro- 
duced a silver medal, with an inscription on one side 
recording the circumstances, and on the other an 
embossed picture of a ship in distress, a cannon from 
which the ball and rope attached had been dis- 
charged and were visible in mid air, several men 
standing around the gun, and a life-boat climbing 
the seas. 
“But, Bill, tell us about the Barnegat pirates 
leading a lame horse with a lantern tied to his neck 
ee 
Eee 
