APPENDIX .
BEFORE the age of railways, Hastings, and indeed all maritime towns, received nearly all their heavy goods by sea, in coasting vessels ; a few were sent by carriers' waggons, whose pace was something like a snail's gallop. Hastings had its complement of these vessels, which generally loaded on certain days in the various wharves, on the banks of the Thames, i.e.,those which traded between Hastings and the metropolis. This mode of carriage had its advantage-it was cheap. It also had its disadvantage-- it was slow and not always sure. Owing to bad weather, it would sometimes happen that Hastings, and other towns as well, would be nearly run out of coals, as all the coals were then sea-borne ; and not only that, as the grocers' goods also came almost entirely by sea, Christmas has more than once within my knowledge been painfully close, and no plums in the grocers' shops with which to make the Christmas puddings. Housewives were sometimes in great trouble on such occasions ; and the young folks drew long faces at the thought of going without the customary pudding.
Among the vessels trading between London and Hastings, was one called " The Farmer's Delight," and it is a smuggling transaction in which this vessel was concerned that I have to bring to the notice of -
