FEMALE SMUGGLERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 251, 21 November 1872, Page 5

FEMALE SMUGGLERS.

Fanny Howell writes in tbe July number of Scribner's Monthly an enteitaining story about those of her own sex who become smugglers. She says : —

Women are freqnently smugglers of fine lacea, but .rarely of Jew Is. On the arrival • at JN'ew Yflrk o.f the Italy, however, some ■valuable jewels- were recently seized, having been found in a quilted underskirt. A quiet • • looking frau recently landed from Bremen, had a double-puilted petticoat filled' with Shetland shawls, cap and stockings. Another on the Westphalia had a quantity of the finest silk bindings, two silk dress patterns, two dozen silver spoons, a dozen silver forks, and eight pieces of silk galloon quilted into a skirt of serge. A companion, on the same steamer had 73 bundles of sew- ' ing. silk, aud 29 pair of kid glove's secreted on her person — scarcely concealed, however, •as. the foolish Fraulien had tied- strong cords about htJP-hips, t ariS' the smuggled articles were suspended in such a. way that she was'scarcely oh' 'eto reach thedeck. The muff is , : a very desirable cover |or smuggled laces." '.An: English, woman,', iecently landed from ,one/ of* the' Inman steamers, had the ,cott>n' moved from her muff, and ite pl.ee filled with valuable laces. The muff .was strapped to her person, whVre it stood for cnil/'onpoint. In one petticoat of fiis ,'aty were found gloves in quantity ; in 'aciriga of her dress, cigars ; and in the voluminous gathers of a second petticoat were meerschaum pipes in sections A French woman, extravagantly dressed, and moving suspiciously, was invited into the rooms of

the Inspectress -recently. Her petticoat proved to be nine yards of superior lilackvelvet, one selvedge beiD» gathered into a waistband, which also h> Id a dress pattern of Pontos silk. The facing of the velvet ' petticoat, which was put on with the ncest care, was well pad. led with Chantilly lacea, cunningly run together; and the ruffle on the bottom of thi-. imperial v der-garment consisted of five ■ rows of ricli Chantiily flouncing, caught together, quite likely, in' the hope that it would be taken for one piece. An immense seizure of Eng ish openfaced watches has recently been made upon the person of a wtll-appearirg American woman, who had them neatly encased in the tucks of a fl.mnel petticoat. Sometimes the German women seek to evade the tariff in the most awkward manner; as witness the stupidity of hanging nine watch-chains about one's neck, with a valuable watch at the end of each chain. Frau Stumf said she had been told .hat watches were worn by the passengers, and the officers did not take them. A d- sperate-lookiug woma* , coming on one of the English steamers lately, on being examined, exhibited an amusing spe tacle, with a silver cake-basket lashed to each hip, and Iwo huge dwss patterns festooned as '"filing" there and thorea.outd. On beiug detected, this woruau, in terrible rage, drew a knife on the Inspects ss. Some of the expedients are. of course, extremely amusing. A spirituelle little French woman had on Ler £ua< -anil's red flannel drawers, and thpse were tied in puffs here and theic. Ou beihy " unpacked," therecame forth a Bohemian glacs toilet set, two dozen salt cellars, threo dozen silver spoons, three dozen silver forks, several little articles in bijouterie in bronze auicrystal, and some fine hwiss wood carvings ; all of which were put up in the softest tissue' paper a- d paper shavings that they might not strike against each other. When the little body was unloaded, no one laughed more heartily than she