The weekly Shasta courier., 1872-12-28
Women Smugglers.

Women are frequently smugglers of fine
laces, but rarely of jewels. On the Haly
however, some valuable jewels were recently
seized, having been found quilted in an un-
derskirt. A quiet looking frau, recently
landed from Bremen had double quilted
pettcoat filled with Shetland shawls, caps,
and stockings. Another on the Westphalia
had quantity of the finest silk bindings
two valuable watches, two silk dress pat
terms, two dozen silver spoons, dozen silver
forks, and eight pieces of silk galloon,
quilted into skirt of serge. A companion
on the same steamer had seventy three bun
dies of sewing silk and twenty nine pairs of
kid gloves secreted on her person-scarcely
concealed, however, as the foolish fraulein
had tied strong cords about her hips, and
the smuggled articles were suspended in
such way that she was scarcely able to
reach the dock.
The muff is very ordinary cover for
smuggled laces. An Englishwoman, recent
ly landed from one of the Inman steamers.
had the cotton removed from her muff, and
its place filled with valuable laces. The
muf was strapped to her person, where it
stood for embonpoinL In one petticoat of
this lady were found gloves in quantity; in
the facipgs of her dress, cigars and in the
voluminous gathers of a second petticoat
were meerschaum pipes in sections.
A Frenchwoman, extravagantly dressed,
and moving about suspiciously, was invited
into the room of the Inspectress recently.
Her petticoat proved to be nine yards of
superior black velvet, one selvedge being
gathered into waistband, which also held
dress pattern of Ponson silk. The facing
of the velvet petticoat, which was put on
with the incest care, was well padded with
Chantilly laces, cunningly run together; and
the ruffle on the bottom of this imperial
under-garment consisted of five rows of rich
Chantilly founcing, caught together, quite
likely, in the hope that it would be taken
for one piece An immense seizure of En-
glish open-faced watches has recently been
made upon the person of a well-appearing
American woman, who had them neatly in
cased in the tucks of heavy flannel petit
coat.
Sometimes the German women seek to
evade the tariff dues in the most awkward
manner as witness the stupidity of hang
ing nine watch-chains about ones neck, with
valuable watch at the end of each chain.
Frau Stumpf said that she had been told
that watches were worn by the passengers,
and the officers did not take them.
A desperate looking woman, coming on
one of the English steamers lately, on being
examined, exhibited an amusing spectacle,
with a silver cake basket lashed to each hip.
and two huge dress-patterns festooned as
filling" there and thereabouts. On being
detected, this woman, in terrible rage, drew
knife on the lnspectress.
Some of the smuggling expedients are of
course, extremely amusing. A spiritueNe
little Frenchwoman had on her husbands
red flannel drawers, and these were tied in
puffs here and there. On being "unpacked,"
there came forth Bohemian glass toilet set,
two dozen salt-cellars, three dozen silver
spoons, three dozen silver forks, several little
articles of byouerie in bronze and crystal,
and some fine Swiss wood carvings; all of
which were put up in the softest tissue-paper
and paper shavings, that they might not
strike against each other When the little
body was unloaded, no one laughed more
heartily than she.-Scribner' Monthly.