Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-12-20
From Chambers Edinburgh Journal.
In a Govt.


ough to tell that, from its bend, and
the tree nail holes. Ours is a bad
coast, you see; not rocky, but with
long sloping sands; and when the sea
is high and there's gale on shore, a
vessel strikes, and there she lies, with
the waves lifting her bodily, and then
letting her fall again upon the sands,
shaking her all to pieces; first the
masts go, then seam opens some
where in her sides, and as every wave
lifts her aud lets her down, she shiv-
ers and loosens, till she as good as
Ialls all to pieces, and the shore gets
strewn with old wreck.
Good wrecks used to be little for
tunes to the folk along shore, but that
is all altered now; the coast guard
look out too sharp. Things are won
dclfully changed to what they were
when was boy. Fine bit of snug
Cling going on i'll those days; hardly
a farmer along the coast but had a fin
ger in it, ard ran cargoes right up to
the little towns inland. The coast
was not so well watched, and people
were bribed easier, suppose; but at
all events, that sort OF thing has al
most died out NOW.
Never had brush with the coast.
guard or The cutter in my time, for we
were all on the cut-aud-run system
but had narrow escape for my life
once, when boats crew came down
upon US AID I'll tell you how it was.
We were a strong party of us down
on the shore off our point here at Mer-
thorpe, busy as could be; night calm
and still and dark, and one of those
last sailing French boats chesse-mdrees
they call them-landing a cargo
Carts and pack horses and boats were
all at it; and the kegs of brandy, and
barrels of tobacco, and parcels OF lace
were coming ashore in fine style;
and another in a little boat kept ma
king trips backwards and forwards
between the shore and the chdSse-ma-
rec, landing brandy tubs,-nice little
brandy kegs, you know, with V. c..
Vieur Cognac-branded on each.
don't know how many journeys
had made, when all at once there was
an alarm given, and as it were right
out of the darkness, could see a man
of-war's boat coming right down upoI
US, while, before | quite got over the
first fright, there was another in sight
Such a scrimmage,-such scamp
er; boats scattering in all directions
the French boat getting up sail ol
two, and all confusion; whips crack
ing, wheels plowing through the sof
sand, and horses galloping off to get
the other side of the sand bank. Wa
were close aside the long, low, cheese
maree, in our bit of a skitf thing, wheI
the alarm was given, and pushed of
hard for the shore, which was abou
two hundred yards distant, while OF
all sides there were other boats 5ettins
US the example, or following i'll on
wake; in front OF us there was hea
Wy cart backed as far out into the Sc;
as she would stand, with the horses
turned restive and .jibbing, for there
was heavy load behind them, and th'
more the driver lashed them, the mort
the brutes backed out into the shallow
water, while every moment the wheel
kept sinking farther iuto the sand.
| saw all this as the revenue cutie
boats separated, one making for th
cteSSe. m0ree, and the other daShing al
ter the flying long shore squadron
and as dragged at my oar, had TIN
pleasure of seeing that we must eithe
DC soon ovcrhauied, or else leap ou
into the Sha'lo water, and run for ii
and | said SO to my companion.
40, hang it, no. he cried; "pul
on. They'll slave in the boat, and W
shall lose all the brandy.
| did pull on, for | was so far iron
being loyal, that | was ready to rul
any risk sooner than lose the littl
cargo we had of a dozen kegs of bran
dy, and about the same number o.
packages; but there seemed not tn
slightest pros pect of getting of, ur
less we happened to be unobserved i
the darkness. However, pulled Oh
and keeping off to the right, we ha
the satisfaction of seeing the revenu
boat row straight on, as if not NOTICING
us.
keep eff little now," | whisper
ed, cor we shall be ashore"
"No, no,-it's all right" was tn
reply; ave are just over the swatch ;
which is the local term given to th
long channels washed out in the san
. by the tide, here and there formin
deep trenches along the coast, yer
dangerous for bathers.
"By jingo, they see us" l whispered
when my companion backed watel
and the consequence was, that th
boats head turned right in shore, an
we hoated between the piles, and wer
next moment, with shipped oars, OF
of sight in the outlet of the govt.
Now, I'm not prepared to give tn
derivation of the word "gowt," but
can describe what it is,-namely, tn
, termination, at the sea coast, OF th
0 long Lincolnshire land drains, In th
: shape of lock with gates, which al
!, opened at certain times, to allow til
drainage to flow under the sand int
the sea, but carefully closed when I'll
tide is up, to prevent flooding Of til
marsh lands, protected by the high st
. bank. which runs along the coast, an
RI acts the part of cliffs. From thes
lock gates, square woodwork tunn
ri \