160
DEXTEROUS EVASION OF THE LAW.
which is particularly favourable for such adventures. These sugars were afterwards shipped to England as the produce of the island, by the following evasion of the law. It was customary at that period, to swear before one of the magistrates, as to the quantity of sugar made and intended to be shipped ; and the certificate was then taken to the collector of her majesty's customs, who, seeing the signature of the magistrate, allowed all was correct. The parties who were possessed of this smuggled sugar, and who were wishful of transporting it to its destined market, would come before a justice and assert that the seven or nine hogsheads which they intended shipping on board such vessel were the real growth of Long Island ; the customary oaths were therefore administered, the magistrate signed his name, and the cocket was presented to the shippers to hand over to the collector. On the road to the custom-house, however, with ready pen they added a ty to the seven or nine (or whatever it might be) in the space which was cunningly left for that purpose, making it of course seventy or ninety ; and as no questions were asked by the collector, they were in this manner enabled, from 100 hogsheads of the actual growth of the island, to ship from time to time more than the above number of 1000 hogsheads. This practice of evading the law (while they soothed their own consciences) gave rise to these shipments being called the " T. Y. sugar," as will be remembered by many to this day. Guiana and Cochran Island also produced sugar at one time ; and in 1725, it was enacted by the legislature, that if the proprietors of those islands, as well as Long Island, suffered any loss from the inroads of the enemy, they should be reimbursed from the public treasury as well as any other inhabitant of Antigua. Following the line of coast from the north, before we once more make the harbour of St. John's, we meet with another guard," in the shape of a small island, bearing direct west from English Harbour, with a reef running three miles into 4