34 



He also mentions that, in 1734, there were twenty-two 

 boats engaged in the oyster fishery, but that, at the time he 

 wrote, in 1790, there were upwards of seventy, besides 

 six colliers and two hoys for passengers and goods. A 

 perusal of the Kentish Post or Canterbury News Letter, and 

 other local papers published in the eighteenth century, 

 gives a vivid impression of the prevalence of smuggling 

 carried on by the smack owners at Whitstable, frequent 

 allusions being made to seizures of brandy and other 

 contraband goods, among which ostrich feathers appear 

 to have ranked high. One export house alone, at 

 Cherbourg, in 1768, was said at the time to be shipping 

 200 gallons of brandy a month, for smugglers to convey to 

 England and Ireland. A rather peculiar lantern, with a 

 funnel about six feet long, was used on board the smacks, 

 which made the light visible, without radiation, at the spot 

 where the receivers were known to be watching on shore. 

 The contraband, once landed, was speedily distributed 

 among the people of high and low degree, who, 

 scrupulously honest in other respects, did not hesitate to 

 "do" the Customs if they had the chance. Coal-carts, 

 with false bottoms, formed one means of distribution, and 

 a convenient one for Whitstable spirit-runners, as large 

 quantities of coal were brought there by sea for sale inland, 

 I have in my possession a glass Dutch demi-john, covered 

 in basket work, which has a curious tale of its own, in that 

 it was tied to the stern-chain of a Kentish hoy near 

 Whitstable, which belonged to a relative of mine, in order 

 that his skipper might be involved in trouble. The skipper,. 

 who is still alive, says he was able to clear his character,, 

 though the Revenue men took him to Canterbury to 

 explain matters to the magistrates. A reliable tale is told 

 of a dredger, lately deceased, who was in all innocence 

 dredging for oysters, and had the misfortune to drag up a- 



