Our chief misfortune in this year was a revival of that wicked
mother of many mischiefs, the smuggling trade, which concerned me
greatly; but it was not allowed to it to make any thing like a
permanent stay among us, though in some of the neighbouring
parishes, its ravages, both in morals and property, were very
distressing, and many a mailing was sold to pay for the triumphs of
the cutters and gaugers; for the government was by this time grown
more eager, and the war caused the king's ships to be out and about,
which increased the trouble of the smugglers, whose wits in their
turn were thereby much sharpened.

After Mrs Malcolm, by the settlement of Captain Macadam, had given
up her dealing, two maiden women, that were sisters, Betty and Janet
Pawkie, came in among us from Ayr, where they had friends in league
with some of the laigh land folk, that carried on the contraband
with the Isle of Man, which was the very eye of the smuggling. They
took up the tea-selling, which Mrs Malcolm had dropped, and did
business on a larger scale, having a general huxtry, with
parliament-cakes, and candles, and pincushions, as well as other
groceries, in their window. Whether they had any contraband
dealings, or were only back-bitten, I cannot take it upon me to say;
but it was jealoused in the parish that the meal in the sacks, that
came to their door at night, and was sent to the Glasgow market in
the morning, was not made of corn. They were, however, decent
women, both sedate and orderly; the eldest, Betty Pawkie, was of a
manly stature, and had a long beard, which made her have a coarse
look; but she was, nevertheless, a worthy, well-doing creature, and
at her death she left ten pounds to the poor of the parish, as may
be seen in the mortification board that the session put up in the