worth, with its gear about £500. For some weeks the boat had been engaged in the herring fishery off Yarmouth, and was on its way home, with a favourable wind, when, during the night, and in a thick haze, it got into collision with a screw steamer, and in a short time went down. The crew, eight in number, who had a narrow escape from being drowned, were taken from the half-submerged lugger as soon as the steamer could be hove to, and a boat lowered for the purpose. After being humanely treated by the captain and crew of the steamer, the unfortunate fishermen were landed at Dover on the following morning.
The Shipping and Mercantile Gazette reported an accident to another Hastings lugger, named the John and Mary, which was run foul of by the Clever brig, of Sunderland, which after sweeping away the lugger's masts and spars, proceeded on its course without offering any assistance. Such are the amenities of sea-life!
The Regatta
A more agreeable aquatic event than those above described was the Hastings annual regatta. It took place on Thursday Sept 18th, in moderately fair weather, after a rainy and misty morning. The most exciting race was, as usual, the one for first-class four-oared galleys, the prizes of which £15, £8 and £5. The winners were severally the Anne' of Brighton; the Topsy of Dover; and La Lucie, of Hastings. The winner of the first prize, though belonging to Brighton, was built at Hastings by Mr. George Tutt, whilst two of her rowers were Henry Curtis and George Wenham, both celebrated Hastings Oarsmen.
A Case of Smuggling
It having reached the ears of certain authorities that a number of tubs containing smuggled spirits were concealed at the Robin Hood, at Icklesham, kept by Edwin Barden, Inspector Jeffery, Superintendent Thomson and Supervisor Hare arranged to meet on the 23rd of August, with a force in reserve, to search the house. They happened to meet Barden in a cart, driving towards Hastings. On telling him they had a warrant to search the Robin Hood for smuggled goods, he declared he had not any there, and offered to drive them to his house for the search. This offer they accepted, and after searching every cranny without success, Inspector Jeffrey suggested that there might be a "cockloft" in the roof, entered by some secret trap; he having known of such places. Such secret trap was then discovered in a dark corner of Barden's bed-room. At this moment Barden re-entered his cart and drove off at a rapid pace. On entering the loft, the officers found 19 tubs, which they quickly seized, together with another afterwards found in the garden. They were at once conveyed to Hastings, and placed-
