ditions, exclusive of what was obtained by the Lumpers during the day, which was always excessive and uncontrolled wherever Night Plunder had taken place. This indulgence was generally insisted on and granted to Lumpers, to prevent their making discoveries of what they called, the Drum Hogsheads, which they found in the hold on going to work in the morning; by which is understood, Hogsheads from which from one-sixth to one-fourth of the contents had been taken out the night preceding. It was ascertained by evidence at the Old Bailey and the Assizes, that from three Ships discharged in 1797, a quantity of Sugars, equal to the usual weight of 30 hhds. was thus removed in the night, besides excessive daily pillage; by the whole of which a loss was sustained of nearly three thousand pounds to the Planters and the Revenue. By such iniquitous practices one Sugar-house near the scene of action was wholly supplied, and another in part. The proprietors were said to be the chief leaders of the gangs, and it was through the medium of Revenue officers, with whom they had been long in habits of criminal intimacy, that Mates, not formerly initiated in this species of villainy, were seduced. This dreadful system of Nightly Robbery was not confined to Sugar alone. Wherever Coffce made a part of the cargo, the plunder of that article, from its being more accessible, was always enormous. Rum also was pillaged in considerable quantities.This was obtained by means of a regular system, immediately applicable to the nature of the article.Skins and large Bladders, with wooden nozles, were secretly conveyed on board. - A Bribe was given, as in the case of Sugar and Coffee, to the Mate and Revenue Officers for a Licence to draw off a certain quantity from each cask, for which purpose a pump, usually denominated a Jigger, was previously provided, and also tin tubes calculated to render the booty accessible in every situation. -By such devices the Skins and Bladders were filled, and large quantities removed to the Houses of the Receivers during the night. All the Ships thus circumstanced, were denominated Game Ships. - It is not possible to ascertain what proportion, in a Fleet of 370 or 400 Sail might be in this unfortunate predicament. -The information of persons who had access to know much of what was going forward, state it at one-fourth; while others do not suppose that this species of systematic depredation could extend to more than one-fifth.Certain however it is, that the Plunder through this medium was excessive, and went to an extent in Sugar, Coffee, Rum, Pimento, Ginger, and other articles, which exceeds all credibility. IV. HEAVY-HORSEMEN, OR DAY PLUNDERERS. Under the description of Heavy Horse, is comprised that class of labourers called Lumpers, who are chiefly employed in the lading and discharging of Ships and Vessels in the River Thames. They consist of a body of about seven hundred men, who, from long habit, have acquired both a knowledge of the means of committing depredations on Commercial Property, and the inclination, wherever opportunities offer, of reducing it to practice. To this phalanx of delinquents may be added about seven hundred more, who are also occasionally employed in the same line, when the Port is crowded with Ships, and are generally well disposed to follow the example of the more regular Lumpers in acts of pillage and depredation; though they have seldom shared to the same extent in the Plunder which has been obtained. Those who became the greatest adepts in the art of spoliation, and resorted to peculiar devices for the purpose of extending their resource for booty, were distinguished from the general mass, by the appellation of Heavy Horse. These never failed to provide themselves with habiliments, suited to the purpose of secreting and removing whatever they could pilfer and steal of the Ship's cargo during the discharge. Many of them were provided with an under dress, denominated a Jemmey, with pockets before and behind : also with long narrow bags or pouches, which, when filled, 1 filled, were lashed to their legs and thighs, and concealed under wide trowsers. By these means they were enabled to carry off Sugars, Coffee, Cocoa, Ginger, Pimento, and every other article which could be obtained by pillage, in considerable quantities. And as the mistaken parsimony of Ship Owners and Ship Masters, in not victualling these Lumpers on board, furnished them with an excuse to go on shore, in many instances, three times a day, they generally endeavoured to be completely laden each time; more especially in cases where Night Plunder took place, for then (as has already been observed,) they had an unrestrained Licence to Plunder ad libitum; and under such circumstances, in the cant language of these miscreants, the Ship was denominated Game: and the Contracting Lumper had their labour without pay, by which means he pocketed the whole of the money received for delivering the cargo.-Indeed, it has been clearly established by the testimony of not a few of the parties themselves, that when Ships were known (from the character of the Mate and Officers, a fact easily ascertained by their connection and intercourse with Receivers,) to be Game, interest was made with the Contracting Lumper to be admitted to work on board without any pay, trusting to the chance of Plunder for remuneration; which often enabled the criminal labourers to divide from one to three guineas a-piece every night; while the class of irregular Lumpers, who were not in the same confederacy, federacy, might share about half as much.-In such cases, the evil example which universally prevailed, contaminated the whole mass, and Coopers, Revenue Officers, and the Ship's Crew, all participated in the spoil, while the injured Proprietors were all the while unconscious of the losses they suffered. Volumes of evidence, upon oath, could be adduced of the shocking lengths to which this pillage extended, and the wide range it embraced; buť as the detail would be too tedious, it may be only necessary to mention that it has been ascertained by the voluntary confession of one of the principal leaders, that out of ten Ships discharged in the River Thames, in the Autumn of 1797, the Sugar alone stolen by a particular Gang, although sold near fifty per cent. under its real value, produced no less than 39727. The plunder thus obtained was not, like the nightly depredations, confined to a particular class of ships. It extended in a greater or less degree to every ship, without exception, from the West-Indies. Where extreme vigilance was exercised by the Ship-master or Mate, the loss was of course greatly diminished. Where no extraordinary attention prevailed, which was generally the case with the major part of the Ships, the pillage was always considerable, while in the Game-ships it was excessive. This state of the case does not rest on vague information. It is confirmed by the evidence of those who were in a situation, for a great length of tane, to witness the |