Download Volume 12 here

Smuggling in tlie Highlands. 285
gardless as to the right or wrong of tlie illegal traffic, and well-todo
peojjle, who engage in the tratlic through sheer wantonness, just
for the romance of the thing, on the principle that " stolen waters
are sweet." I know a few of both classes. Their conduct is highly
reprehensible, and their example most pernicious to their poorer
neighbours.
With the smuggler I class the purchaser of the wretcheil
stuff. He aids and abets, becomes a partner in guilt, ar.d is
e([ua]ly tainted. Without a ready market the smuggler's occupation
would be gone, and no small share of the dishonesty attaches
to the purchaser. Whoever buys for gain, or to gratify a debased
sentiment, is encouraging the smuggler in his lawless ways at the
risk of loss and penalty. David would not drink the water
brought from the Well of Bethlehem at the risk of his three
mighty men's lives, but the drinkers of smuggled whisky are actually
draining the moral and physical life-blood of the poor smuggler.
Both the legitimate trader and the Revenue suffer by this illegal
traffic. The trader has no remedy, but the taxpayer must make
u}) every penny of which the Revenue is defrauded. If the general
comn.imity would engage in frauds of this kind, the whole? country
would become demoralised. Integrity and honesty, the very foundation
of society would be sapped, and the whole would collapse into
chaos. Something like this on a small scale actually occurs in
some of the townships on the West Coast. A few successful runs
cause envy and jealousy, and whenever a detection is made some
one is blamed for giving information. Mutual confidence and
friendliness disappear, and every one distrusts and suspects his
neighbour until the little township becomes a sort of pandemonium.
Even families are victims of dissensions. I know a case
where father and mother are opi)Osed to a son who engages in
smuggling, and two cases where wives disapprove of their husbands
engaging in smuggling, but entreaties and w^arnings are disregarded.
Some six years ago we were hoping such a deplorable state
of things was fast passing away, but since the abolition of the
Malt Tax in 1880, there has been a marked revival of smuggling
in the Highlands. Prior to 1880 the manufacture of malt, which
occupied fi-om 1 4 to 20 days, was illegal except by licensed traders,
and during the manufacture the smuggler was liable to detection.
Malt can now be made openly, or be bought from brewers, dis-
tillers, or malt dealers, so that the illicit distiller is liable to
detection only during the four, five, or six days he is engaged in
brewing and distilling. This very much facilitates illicit distilla-