Chambers's journal of popular literature, science, and art, fifth series, no. 122, vol. III, May 1, 1886

This vivid essay takes listeners on a walk through the shadowy world of British smuggling, tracing how the craft has changed from the days of King Ethelred’s half‑penny tolls to the late‑nineteenth‑century customs office. Written by an experienced customs officer, it blends historical background with lively anecdotes that reveal the ingenuity of smugglers and the ever‑evolving tactics they employ to dodge detection.

Through entertaining true‑to‑life cases—from a boastful sailor who unwittingly confessed his cargo to a group of officers on a train, to fishermen charged with dozens of pounds of tobacco—the piece illustrates the paradoxical admiration many still hold for the daring thief. The narrative also shines a light on the public’s conflicted feelings toward revenue collectors, offering a balanced view of law, lore, and the people caught between them.