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the top or bottom of the hill), it would have much redounded to the honour 
of his age. The old newspapers give us many accounts of adventures on 
this ground. Under June, 1773 we read that “ On Sunday night about 
10 o'clock Colonel Craige and his servant were attacked near Shuters Hill 
by two highwaymen well mounted, who, on the Colonel's declaring he 
would not be robbed, immediately fired and shot the servant's horse in the 
shoulder. On this, the footman discharged a pistol and the assailants rode 
off with great precipitation."—(N.P. fol. 2). Among the more disastrous 
results of such attacks may be mentioned the finding of a poor fellow, “ in 
a dell of Shooters' Hill Wood," lashed to a tree, and who had apparently 
died by strangulation. These knights of the road are said to have had a 
further source of emolument, that of selling passes to such persons as chose 
to secure the advantage of going and coming unmolested through their 
territory. Thus, Dr Watson, tutor to the Princess Charlotte, when that 
princess was residing at Shrewsbury House, obtained from the Shooters' 
Hill cut-purses the privilege of approaching •“ the Daughter of England " 
without having his brains blown out. Shrewsbury House named above 
is said to have been acquired by gambling—and soon after lost again by 
the same process. Into the annals of gaming it is hardly worth while to 
inquire. -If the tradition is true, one may almost believe in some maleficent 
influence dominating Shooters' Hill, where the knights of the pistol on the 
one side and the knights of the dice-box on the other divided the empire of 
infamy. Some indeed may be inclined to give the balance of virtue in 
favour of the highwayman, who at least puts his own life in jeopardy when 
drawing his pistol upon the belated traveller. 
To highwaymen, smugglers succeeded in the possession of Shooters' Hill 
wood. Cargoes of spirits, tobacco, and tea were brought up here from the 
river-craft and hidden away among the bushes and fern brakes. The 
villagers round the winter fire have many a stirring tale to tell of these 
worthies, not altogether unsympathisingly. On one occasion a country 
fellow had stumbled upon a deposit of tea in the wood. Joyfully he filled 
his pockets with the fragrant leaf, a peccadillo which the concealed watchers 
did not care to notice; but presently our Eortunatus returned with a great 
sack, and began to fill that. This was too much for the smugglers, who 
rushed from their hiding-place and belaboured the poor fellow to within an 
inch of his life. 
In 1767 we have a remarkable newspaper notice :—“In the Circle of the 
new Town to be built on Shooters Hill is to be a Bason of water, and in 
the centre of that Bason a circular Island, on which a Coffee-house is to be 
erected, and over it an Assembly Boom, the entrance to be by four 
Bridges, from which there are to be four grand Streets, to be made out for 
Greenwich, Woolwich, Gravesend, and the High road over Shooters Hill." 
—(N. P. fol. Ivo.). A few months later, a further notice appears, inviting 
subscriptions for the purpose of carrying out this notable project, and of 
course promising wonderful gains to those who may determine to join in 
the undertaking. In what year this company obtained their winding-up- 
order, I have not been able to learn. Erom highwaymen, smuggling, and 
casinos we come to fortification :— 
1837. “Eortifying Shooters' HilL The military trigonometrical and 
topographical survey of this hill, in relation to its commanding the 
