10 THE SMUGGLER. 



the officers found it nearly a useless task to attempt to execute 

 their duty. Nevertheless, as it is a tale I have to tell, not a 

 picture to paint, I may as well dwell for a few minutes upon 

 the scene of the principal adventures about to be related. A 

 long range of hills, varying greatly in height and steepness, 

 runs nearly down the centre of the county of Kent, throwing 

 out spurs or buttresses in different directions, and sometimes 

 leaving broad and beautiful valleys between. The origin or 

 base, if we may so call it, of this range, is the great Surrey 

 chain of hills ; not that it is perfectly connected with that chain, 

 for in many places a separation is found, through which the 

 Medway, the Stour, and several smaller rivers wind onward 

 to the Thames or to the sea; but still the general connexion 

 is sufficiently marked, and from Dover and Folkestone, by 

 Chart, Lenham, Maidstone, and Westerhan, on the one side, 

 and Barham, Harbledown, and Eochester, on the other, the 

 road runs generally over a long line of elevated ground, only 

 dipping down here and there to visit some town or city of im- 

 portance, which has nested itself in one of the lateral valleys, 

 or strayed out into the plain. 



On the northern side of the county, a considerable extent of 

 flat ground extends along the bank and estuary of the Thames 

 from Greenwich to Sandwich and Deal. On the southern side, 

 a still wider extent lies between the high land and the borders 

 of Sussex. This plain or valley, as perhaps it may be called, 

 terminates at the sea by the renowned flat of Romney Marsh. 

 Farther up, somewhat narrowing as it goes, it takes the name 

 of the Weald of Kent, comprising some very rich land and a 

 number of small villages, with one or two towns of no very 

 great importance. This Weald of Kent, is bordered all along 

 by the southern side of the hilly range we have mentioned ; but 

 strange to say although a very level piece of ground was to 

 be had through this district, the high road perversely pursued 

 its way up and down the hills, by Lenham and Charing, till it 

 thought fit to descend to Ashford, and thence once more make 

 its way to Folkestone. Thus a great parfc of the Weald of 

 Kent was totally untravelled; and at one village of consider- 

 able size, which now hears almost hourly the panting and 

 screaming steam-engine whirled by, along its iron course, I 

 have myself seen the whole population of the place turn out 

 to behold the wonderful phenomenon of a coach- and- four, the 



