73 



PRIVATE TRADE ON THE FALMOUTH PACKETS. 



BY ARTHUR HAMILTON NORWAY. 



In tracing tlie history of the Falmouth Packets from 1793 

 to 1815, a period which includes two wars, separated by the 

 short peace of 1802, it is impossible to avoid the observation 

 that the peace divides the story not only chronologically, but 

 also in other ways of more importance. The conduct of the 

 o£S.cers and crews of the packets was creditable in almost every 

 instance in the later war, but in the earlier one it was by no 

 means so distinguished. In fact, so far as can be gathered from 

 the meagre records which still exist, the Falmouth men were 

 far from shewing any readiness to risk their lives between the 

 years 1793 and 1802; and by their conduct they gave some 

 colour to certain grave charges which were brought against 

 them. 



In the year 1793 a very loose discipline prevailed at Falmouth. 

 It was not a recent growth. On the contrary, there is reason 

 to believe that the officers of the General Post Office, whose 

 duty it was to regulate the service in the public interest, had 

 long been unfit to exercise control. It was an age of corruption 

 in every department of Government, and the Packet Establish- 

 ment being located in a distant corner of the country, offered 

 opportunities for peculation which were not likely to be over- 

 looked, and which it was most difficult to check. Many of the 

 packets in those days were owned by officials of the Post Office, 

 from messengers and porters up to the Secretary himself, who 

 indeed received tolerably large sums as fees from the commanders 

 upon their appointment, and whenever fresh commissions were 

 issued to them. It is obvious that this practice, which left 

 persons who were pecuniarily interested in the movements of the 

 packets to direct their voyages, was open to very serious 

 objection; and as a matter of fact nobody believed that the 

 officers in question performed their public duties without some- 

 times modifying them to serve their private interests, 



