Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-22
From Black,cood's Magazmc,
THE SMUGGLERS.
A rALE-BY a COUNTRY CITRATE.

none, at least in my day, 10 be compared, either
in point of manly beauty or rustic accomplish
menls, with Will Brockman. Will was the
only son Of his mother, and she was WI.
dow His father, who, to use the colloquiai
phraseology of this coast, had followed the sea
from his childhood, persisted one stormy night,
in vain though gallant attemptto bring assls-
lance 10 q vessel in distress; and Will, who was
then an infant, formed from that hour the only
solace Of kind-hearled and amiable mother
The Elder Brockman had, 1t appeared, been
successful in his specuatons. Whether these
were always such as 10 defy scrutiny. or whe-
Their, in common with the rest Of his townsmen,
he deemed il no act Of dishonesty 10 deiraud the
revenue as often as circumstances Wi! allow,
cannot ,ell All that know is, that at his death
he left his WIDOW in possession OF com'orlaDie
dwelling, situated on the extreme edge OF my
parish-of sum in ready money, the amount
of which no ore accurately knew-oiihe whole
and sole property in barge and plnnace-lo-
peiher with couple of shares in neat lu9ger,
famous !or lis fast sailing, and called the Dread
nough,. Possessed of this fortune, Mrs Brock
man naturally became an object Of desire to
such Of her late husbands companions as were
bachelors The father of her boy had not been
in his grave year, before she was lmportuned
on all hands 10 change her condition; but TO
such proposals she turned deaf ear, and Trans
fe,ring T.. her son all the love she ever felt tor
her husband, she continued i'll her widowed
state up TO the hour of her dccease.
At the period OF which now wrile, VIII had
attained his three and twentieth year; IN helgt;
he measured rather more than six ieet His
form though apparently slender, was well knit
and put together; his step was light and free,
and gave notice Of a surprising degree Of agi-
lily and ,igour; no man along the coast could
pull better oar, or more ski!fully manage rud
der or sail, when the wind was high and the
sea rough.
The events Of his shor. life. previous to the
commencement Of our acquaintance, may be
related in few words.
Like other youths brought up by the seaside,
Will early exhibited prediction for mari
time life; and as Mrs. Brockman appeared to
consider the ooasling trade, and the business oi
dredger as of all others the most perilous,
she determined to send her son into the service
Of company Of merchants, whose ships nay-
gated between London and the Baltic. AT the
age Of thirteen he accordingly entered upon his
apprenticeship. This .xpring in four years,
he was taken, when seventeen years old, as an
able seaman on board the Neptune, where his
attention to his duties, and his general activity
and intelligence, soon recommended him Tor la
vor and promotion. He had hardly reached
his twentieth year, when he received the APP
poin,ment Of second mae-his prctrrment to
the rank Of first mate occurred the year alter
and when he and met for the first Time, he
was on leave OF absence Of an indefinite extent,
waiting till the brig Britannia should be fitted
out for service, Of which he was TO be pat IN
command Right Joyous had the widows heart
been many days before he made his appearance,
at the prospect Of once more having her boy
under her roof, safe and sound from the perils
Of the deep. Nofewcr than five years had elaps-
ed since her arms last embraced him; and now
he was 10 return TO them loaded with honors,
and what was Of far more weight in her eyes,
worthy to be honorcd by I'll good men. Hap
nv woman was she, when, at late hour on Sa-
,urday nighr, her brave and handsome son burst
into her parlour;--and proud was her bearing
when she entered the house of God, leaning up
on his stalwart arm, on the morning after.
There dwelt in the parish at this time FAM
lily of The name Of Petey, OF whom, from the
father down to the Youngest child, no one
thought we'll The old man vas by trade
market gardener, but he paid SO little attention
to the cultivation Of his land, that il would have
been matter Of surprise how he contrivcd to
live had not his neighbours been pretty well
assured, that he looked toit but for substance
He was wi,ower His domestic circle con-
sisted Of three sons and daughter, the eldest
about thirty, the youngest, Harriet, hardly
nineteen The boys protested to be fishermen.
They owned boat among them, with which
they made frequent voyages, no one cared 10 IN
quire wither; but if these voyages were made
in search Of fish, they were generally TAR from
being successful The fact, indeed, was, that
fishing constituted a mere excuse for the prose
cution Of another, and more perilous vocation.
They were smugglers, daring, intrepid, unPrin-
cpled smugglers-mcn who were known 10
carry arms about their persons whenever they
sci cut upon an adventure, and who protested,
and protested truly, not to set their own lives,
or the lives Of others, at a pins value They
were men Of violence from their youth up, dis
solute in their habits, proud and bold in their
ideportment, and what, in the eyes of their
neighbors at least, was worst Of all, they were
men without one particle of honor No one
hcrded with them, no one dared TO trust them.
They stood perfectly alone, for they had on va
rious occasions betrayed a companion in illicit
transactions, and were universally Stunned in
consequence.
OF the daughter Harriet, it greves me TO
speak i'll the terms which truth requires. Nev-