applications had been made to the Board asking permission to take out
Letters of Marque. It will be remembered that this was a time when
wars seemed to go on interminably, and there had been only a few brief
intervals of peace ever since the Anglo-Dutch wars began. The
Commissioners replied that they had no objection to the commanders of
the cruisers providing themselves with Letters of Marque, if done at
the latter's own expense "during present hostilities": but the Board
declined to bear any part of the expense for any damages that might be
sustained in an engagement where no seizure had been made and brought
into port for a breach of the Revenue laws, so long as a commander
should continue to hold these Letters of Marque. It was, in fact, a
basis of no cure no pay. Each commander was, further, strictly
enjoined not to quit his station and duty as a Revenue officer "under
pretence of looking for captures, it being our resolution to recall
the permission hereby granted, as soon as it shall be discovered in
any instance to be prejudicial to our service."

But this war-like and semi-war-like service was entirely subservient
to their ordinary work. It is evident from the correspondence of the
Customs Board of this same year, 1780, that their minds were very
uneasy. The smugglers, far from showing any slackening, had become
more active than ever. These men had, to quote the words of the
Commissioners, considerably increased the size and force of their
vessels; they had also added to their number of both men and guns.
They had become so violent and outrageous, they had acquired so much
audacity as to "carry on their illicit designs in sight of the Revenue
cruisers," and "whenever they have appeared within a certain distance
have actually fired into and threatened to sink them." In such cases
as these, it was reported to the Board, the mariners on board these
cruisers have frequently refused to bear down and repel their attacks,