THE YARE VALLEY 233 



and comes back vividly to my memory, although it happened 

 many years ago. I will call it 



TOPER'S TRIAL. 



"In 1862 we got up a North River cruise with several 



yachts belonging to the cruising club, under Commodore R . 



The start was made from Cantley, if I remember rightly, and 

 the following day saw the little fleet all safely moored for the 

 night at Acle Bridge. On board one of the yachts was an old 

 waterman, engaged to work the craft, who had turned up very 

 ' rusty,' he grumbled at this and at that, until he ended by saying 

 ' he should go home again.' Of course this meant throwing 

 part of the fleet more or less into a dilemma and obliging the 

 owner of this particular yacht to go back to Yarmouth to 

 engage a fresh hand. As our time was limited it was 

 suggested that the old man should be patted on the back and 

 cajoled into changing his mind, and to remain with us until 

 we had reached a part of the river where it would be no easy 

 matter for him to desert the ship or find his way back to the 

 bosom of his family. 



" The old waterman was always known on the stream by 

 the name of 'The Toper.' It had apparently originated 

 from his inordinate love of something stronger than water. 

 Toper had, on the occasion of his mutiny, taken as much as 

 was good for him, and had consequently become quarrelsome, 

 but at last he was calmed down, and, little expecting what was 

 in store for him, he sailed on with us from day to day, until 

 we finally reached Coltishall Lock, quite away, in those days, 

 from the reach of railways, and many miles from his home at 

 Yarmouth. 



" Some wicked unknown person, on the morning of our 

 reaching Coltishall, had placed three tiers of gunpowder in 

 Toper's filled pipe, which he afterwards replaced in his 

 forecastle, and knowing also the peculiarity of his victim in 

 being addicted to the habit of wearing no stockings, he had 

 stuffed his shoes with mustard and cayenne. Not long after- 



