that some of the younger men, notwithstanding the risk they ran, after depositing their loads, returned into the water to assist their older comrades.
We now take our leave of " Old Hastings." In looking back, as I and others can do, we see " Old Hastings," with its undrained, unpaved, and unlighted streets, courts, and alleys. At this time sanitary laws. were as completely ignored as if they had no existence. I could mention numerous instances in proof of this, and so could others, but we should be met with the remark, " It can't be true !" Order in the streets was supposed to be kept by two antiquated beadles, dressed in blue great-coats, with large capes turned up with yellow, and huge three-cornered cocked hats ; these antiquated beings could not have run fifty yards if you had given them a guinea, and they merely served as a butt and a make-game for the boys of the day.
Then came oil lamps in the streets, just sufficiently bright to make darkness visible, half of which were blown out on a windy night, and many of the others were put out by boys bumping their backs against the lamp-posts, and thus drowning the wicks in the oil.
At one time Hastings was infested by a notorious housebreaker. On dark nights people went to bed expecting to hear something of the doings of " Mike Wood " when they arose next morning. The trades men as a sort of precaution formed themselves into a night watch, which, however, was little better than -
