Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/147

 *cial notice. In the first case, thirty-five casks of annatto, the produce of Cayenne, a French colony, were in course of transit in a French ship to Bordeaux. This valuable dye could have been brought direct from Cayenne in a British ship for home consumption to England; but, if once brought from the French colony in a French ship, and landed in Europe, it was clearly inadmissible under the clause, "that goods, the produce of Asia, Africa, and America, shall not be imported from Europe into the United Kingdom to be used therein."

The value of annatto is apt to fluctuate suddenly from very low to enormously high prices, just as the fashion for the colour varies. Annatto on this occasion rose to a high price; and a London agent, knowing that thirty-five casks of it were on their way to Europe, set his wits to work to bring this French colonial produce into a port in England, in spite of the Navigation Laws. The agent was thoroughly acquainted with every branch of the law, and asked himself what constituted a landing in Europe? Having satisfied himself on this point, he arranged with an eminent house at Bordeaux to purchase the annatto for arrival, land the cotton, which constituted the chief part of the cargo, and charter a small vessel, and send on the annatto to London in this British ship. This was done; and, when the vessel was on the point of arrival, he sought the Commissioners of Customs, and frankly avowed his proceedings. Mr. Dean, one of the chief officers, admitted that, many years previously, especially during the war in 1810, similar transhipments had been allowed, under the authority of the officers of the