' WRECKING AND SMUGGLING.
A WRITER in the October number of Meliora for 1865, in an article on " Cornwall and the Cornish," says, that in the last century, before the preaching of the Wesleys (who, as a certain witty cleric has observed, taught west country folk to "alter" their sins), "If a Cornish-man said his prayers at all he would pray for a good wreck, and he would not scruple, by false signals and other means, to bring about such a catastrophe. And as to smuggling, that was considered a virtue. The revenue officers were esteemed public enemies. When Lord Exmouth's brother. Capt. Pellew. was sent to Falmouth to put down smuggling, he found some of his own officers running a contraband cargo of wine, in broad daylight, and in open port. One noted smuggler built himself a fortress, and armed it with long range guns, and one day when Capt. Pellew approached the stronghold more closely than was agreeable to its occupant, the fort opened fire upon the ship, and a sharp engagement followed, in which the aggressor happily was worsted."
On the 4th April 1786, the Happy-go-lucky, an armed lugger of 14 guns, commanded by a notorious smuggler, Welland, a Dover man. was surprised at anchor off Mullyon, by the revenue cutters Hawk and Lark, and captured after a chase to the westward, and a desperate fight, in which Welland was killed. - Oslers Life of Lord Exmouth. p. 386.
That a coast like this of Mullyon. with all its natural facilities for carrying on contraband operations, should not have been a favourite locality for " making a run," is hardly credible : but that blood shedding was as frequent as in many other parts is not likely..... '
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