UNEARTHING OF AN OLD SMUGGLING CRAFT.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1114, 19 November 1883, Page 2

UNEARTHING OF AN OLD SMUGGLING CRAFT.

A curious “ find " has been made recently in the neighborhood of Sandwich, in K-nt, close to place where the river makes its exit into the sea. This is nothing less than the buried hull of an old sraulling vessel, lying half-covered in mud at the bottom of the stream. It must have lain embedded in its resting-place for several centuries, inasmuch as some of the wood of which it was composed had undergone petrifaction. The the lugger is about 40 tons, and it that she was engaged in carrying on a contraband trade when she was sunk right in mid-stream by a well-aimed shot from some Government ship. This supposition is rendered almost certain by the fact that in the disentombed vessel were found fcevoral stone jars of antique shape, and packages of decayed and mouldy tobacco, while a 141b ball was embedded in the timbers of the hull. One of the jars had been so sealed up as to have escaped the effects of time and water, and in it remained some “strong-smelling liquor,” which ought to be handed over to a competent analyst , without delay. This treasure-trove was come across in a perfectly accidental way.; It was found lately that an obstruction existed ini the bed; of the river, and the authorities at Sandwich haven gave orders for its removal, whon the obstacle to navigation was found to be the contraband lugger in question, which will now be raised and carefully investigated by archaeologists. Thd smugglers who loaded that vessel with their surreptitous goods some couple of hundred years ago little thought that they were providing materials for a • museum of curiosities in the Victorian era. ___