The book Arran; - Cook Clan

134 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
distinguished for firmness and forbearance, was occasioned solely
by the violence and outrage of a misguided multitude, and was
absolutely necessary to defend the lives of those who were under his
command, the jury, with the entire approbation of the Court, returned
an unanimous verdict of Not Guilty.^
With the decrease of duties and the relaxation of re-
strictions so that small distilleries became possible,^ the
temptations to smuggling fell off, while the watchfulness of
officers, grown as astute as the smugglers themselves, increased
the risks as the possible profits decreased. By 1793
three licensed distilleries were at work in the island, and
besides what was consumed in these, the islanders found
it the better bargain to send their barley to similar establishments
at Campbeltown or to Ayr, Irvine, Saltcoats, and
Greenock. Much furtive distilling, however, continued,
though the art must have degenerated, when they took to
distilling from sour beer imported from Ireland.
Still it must have proved profitable. In 1826 a father,
son, and daughter from Arran were convicted, before the
Excise court at Rothesay, of illicit distillation. They ' bore
the appearance of great destitution,' nevertheless, by the
end of the week they had paid their huge fine of £60.
Nor were even those caught always brought as far as
the dock. True there were informers, but there were many
more sympathisers, some even in the revenue ranks. A
smuggler caught in the Shisken district was being tramped
over to Brodick, his hands tied with a rope of which an
exciseman, as it happened a native of the island, held the
loose end. Silent messages passed between the two, and,
in the growing darkness, the prisoner gnawed through
his hempen fetters with his teeth and let his captors march
on. When discovery came and the other officers accused
the holder of the rope, that innocent held up his end with
' The Scots Magazine, vol. 79, p. 277 ; vol. 80 (vol. i. the Edinburgh Magazine,
etc.), pp. 315-16. 2 Xhe salt duty was repealed in 1825.