206 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



One of the worst cases of this nature was that of a 

 man who, on returning from the coper, fell stupefied on 

 the deck of his vessel. His drunken comrades tried to 

 rouse him, but failed. Then they poured a quantity of 

 " turps " over his clothing and set fire to the inflammable 

 liquid. Their object was to awaken him, but the man 

 was burnt to death, and it was only by speedy help from 

 a neighbouring smack that the vessel was saved from 

 destruction. 



Until the Mission vessels began to run, the coper 

 found in the English trawler an ever-ready customer for 

 his liquors and obscene prints and letterpress. On the 

 sale of his wares he prospered, and the smacksman's 

 work suffered in proportion, while his employers' be- 

 longings followed his own money for the stranger did 

 not refuse payment in kind. It was hopeless to think 

 of defeating the enemy until it was possible to sell 

 tobacco, without which smacksmen as a body cannot 

 live, at the same price as he. The Mission entered 

 upon a hard, long fight, and won a famous victory. It 

 fought with the coper on equal terms, owing to official 

 aid and generous help from men of business, and to-day 

 on board any of the Mission vessels excellent cut 

 tobacco can be purchased, duty free, at is. 2d. per lb., 

 and cake tobacco at iod., as against the coper s is. 6d. 

 and is. ; and the smacksman is kept from the temptation 

 to drink, which was ever present on board the foreigner. 

 As a practical undertaking the Mission was directed 

 to keep pace with the changing order of things. It was 

 useless to station a sailing vessel with a fleet of steam- 

 boats ; craft were needed that could follow the admiral 

 just as swiftly as any vessel under his control, and heavy 



