PRIVATE TRABE ON THE FALMOUTH PACKETS. 77 



supposing that there was any want of courage or skill on the 

 part of the officers, and that the packets being lightly armed 

 were no match for the enemy's privateers. There is force in 

 this, yet in the three cases mentioned above these lightly armed 

 packets succeeded in beating off privateers of force far superior 

 to their own, and quite equal to that by which other packets 

 were captured. 



The fairest means of judging the conduct of these captains, 

 however, will be to count the number of captures in an equal 

 number of years when the war broke out again. Between July, 

 1803, and July, 1812, I find that ten packets only were captured, 

 and that five of those hauled down their colours after actions 

 which may fairly be described as desperate, and which reflect 

 the greatest credit on those concerned. Ten captures against 

 thirty -two. How is the difference to be explained ? The packets 

 were the same, that is they were built in the same place ; the 

 officers and crews of manj served in both wars. It cannot be 

 supposed that the French privateers were less active in the one 

 war than in the other. The periods chosen for comparison are 

 long enough to allow for chance circumstances favourable or 

 unfavourable to both alike. What then caused the enormous 

 preponderance of losses in the former war? and how did it 

 happen that the men who fought so well in the later war did 

 not fight in the earlier one ? 



There were persons who professed to be able to answer this 

 question. In the year 1800, the capture of several West India 

 packets in quick succession provoked very strong remonstrances 

 from the merchants of London, and rumours began to be 

 circulated of large profits made by the oflBcers of the packets 

 out of being captured and losing their ships. No specific charge 

 seems to have been made against any individual, but it was 

 freely asserted that the goods which old custom allowed to be 

 carried on the packets, though the law forbade them, were often 

 insured for the homeward as well as the outward passage before 

 the ship left Falmouth. If then all the goods were sold in the 

 West Indies, it would be a possible thing for the crew to remit 

 the purchase money by a subsequent packet, or even by an 

 armed merchant vessel, and to surrender themselves quietly to 



