Washington sentinel., 1898-02-26
Sea Poaohers.

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The other day / saw an old farm
house in process of demolition in
the parish OF Altarnum on the edge
OF the Bodmin Moors. The great
hall chimney was Of unusual bulk,
bulky as such chimneys usually
are; and when it was thrown down
it revealed the explanation OF this
unwonted size. Behind the back
OF the hearth was a chamber fash
ioned in the thickness OF the wall
TO which access might have been
had at some time through low
walled-up doorway, that was con-
cealed behind the kitchen dresser
and plastered over. This door was
so low that it could only be passed
through on all fours. Now the
concealed cha mber had also an
other way by which it could be
entered, and this was through
hole in the floor of a bedroom
above. A plank of the floor could
be lifted, when an opening was
disclosed by which any one might
pass under the wall through a sort
OF door and down steps into this
apartment which was entirely with
out light. OF what use was this
singular concealed chamber
There could be little question. 1t
was a place in which formerly kegs
of smuggled spirits and tobacco
were hidden. The place lies some
fourteen or fifteen miles from Bos-
castle. dangerous little harbor
on the North Cornish coast, and
about mile of the main road
from London, by Exter and Laun-
ceston to Falmouth. The coach
travellers in old days consumed a
good deal of spirits, and here in a
triangle Of lanes lay a little empor-
ium always kept well supplied with
a stock OF spirits which had not
paid duty, and whence the tay-
erns along the road could derive
the contraband liquor, with which
they supplied the travellers. Be-
tween this emporium and the sea,
the roads-parish roadside over
wild moors or creep between high
hedges of earth on which the traV-
eller can step along when the lane
below is converted into the bed of
a stream, also on which the wary
smuggler could stride along whilst
his laden mules and asses STUN
bled forward in the concealment of
the deepest lane
a very curious feature Of the
coasts of England, where rocky or
wild. is the trenChed and banked
up paths from the caves along the
coast. These are noticeable in De.
Won and Cornwall and along the
Bristol Channel. That terrible sea
front consists of precipitous walls
OF rock, with only here and there |
a dip, where brawling stream has
sawn its course down to the sea,
and here there is, perhaps, a sandy |
shore Of diminutive proportions, |
and the rocks around are pierced |
in all directions with caverns. The
smugglers formerly ran their
goods into these caves when the |
weather permitted, or the preven-
tive men were not on the lookout.
They slowed away their goods in /
the caves and gave notice to the
farmers and gentry IF the neigh
borhOod, all OF whom were pro-
vided with numerous donkeys,
which were henceforth sent down
to the caches and the kegs and |
bales were removed under cover
OF the night or OF storm. AS an
excuse for keeping droves Of dom
keys, il was pretended that the sea
sand and the kelp served as admir-
able dressing for the land; and no
doubt so they did; the trains of
asses sometimes came up ladened
with sacks oi sand. but not infre-
quently with kegs of brandy.
Now a wary preventive man
might watch too narrowly the pro-
ceedings of these trains of asses.
Accordingly squires, yoemen,
farmers alike set 10 work to cut
deep ways in the face Of the Downs
along the slopes OF the hills, and
bank them up, so that the whole
caravans OF laden beasts might
travel up and down absolutely un-
seen from the sea and greatly
screened from the land side. I'm
doubtedly the sunken ways and
high banks are great protection
against the weather. So they were
to be and no doubt
greatly were the good folks com.
mended for their consideration for
the beasts and their drivers, in thus
at great cost shutting them off from
the violenIe of the gale. Never
theless, it can hardly be doubted
tnat concealment from the eyes Of
the coastguard was sought by this
means quite as much, ii not more,
than the sheltering the beasts Of
burden from the weather.