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 



