CANINE SMUGGLERS AND THEIR WORK.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 2, Issue 127, 10 July 1895, Page 4

CANINE SMUGGLERS AND THEIR WORK.

The London G-Jobe'a Gibraltar c. rresponJeut, writing on 27th March, says :—An extraordinary find was made this week by an official of the Port Department. It is a rule that vessels of a certain tonnage should be left in charge of someone when at anchor in the bay. When this official boarded a large falucbo (trading vessel) lying soma distance off the North Front landing jetty, he found no one in charge, but some fifty or so dogs, more or less ferocious, rushed at him barking and Bnarling round him. The vessel and its strange cargo were detained for eiquiriea. The ownars of the vessel and dogs subsequently claimed their properties at the Port office, and seemed much surprised that anyone could have boarded tho craft with such a ere* aboard. As nothing illegal could be proved, tho boat and its occupants were returned to their owners. The following trick of some tobacco smugglers in this neighborhood may throw some light on the above incident. It seems an ingenious and lucrative trade is carried on by means of these dogs, which are taken on board, I am told, during the day, and at night aro all let drop over tho sides of these vessels laden with some thirty or forty pounds of tobacco (which is a cheap, nor.-dutiable article here) fastened in waterproof packages round the body. The sagacious animals ate trained to swim back to their raapective homes at various Spanish fishing villages round the bay; they are even taught to evade the dreaded caribineros (military policemen) who patrol tho beach, and, waiting thoir opportunity, under cover of the darkiess when noariug land, rush past, often uuder the noses of their enemy, invariably ca-ryiug their now valuable booty safely to the smugglers' home, at a profit to their masters of wme five dollars a day per dog, The owners of the vessels of course earn an easy livelihood by charging a fairly high poll tax on each dog housed for this purpose. As tobacco is a free article of commerce iu our port, and does not become contraband till with, iu Spanish territory, we are helpless in the matter.