nothing but brown paper or damaged tea that is consumed by the fire.
In the first place the Russian officials are too rational to burn
up good tea, when by chance a real confiscation of that article has
taken place; in such a case the gentlemen take the tea, and put upon
the burning pile an equal weight of brown paper or rags done up to
resemble genuine packages. In the second place, it is mostly damaged
or useless tea that is seized. The premium for seizures being so
high, the custom-house officers themselves cause Polish Jews to buy
up quantities of worthless stuff and bring it over the lines for the
express purpose of being seized. The time and place for smuggling it
are agreed upon. The officer lies in wait with a third person whom he
takes with him. The Jew comes with the goods, is hailed by the officer
and takes to flight. The officer pursues the fugitive, but cannot
reach him, and fires his musket after him. Hereupon the Jew drops
the package which the officer takes and carries to the office, where
he gets his reward. The witness whom he has with him--by accident of
course--testifies to the zeal of his exertions, fruitless though they
were, for the seizure of the unknown smuggler. The smuggler afterward
receives from the officer the stipulated portion of the reward. This
trick is constantly practiced along the frontier, and to meet the
demand the Prussian dealers keep stocks of good-for-nothing tea, which
they sell generally at five silver groschen (12-1/2 cents) a pound."

* * * * *

MORE OF LEIGH HUNT.[1]

Although a large portion, perhaps more than half, of these volumes has
been given to the world in previous publications, yet the work carries
this recommendation with it, that it presents in an accessible and