Page:The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard.djvu/88

72 girl, is very little used. "Is this your ring, young woman? Let me see your finger; if it is I shall find a mark there. Well! I'll declare it's good gold; don't you see the stamp?" says the dropper; and then he proceeds to inveigle her into a purchase. But the whole concern cannot amount to more than three or four shillings, and is really too shabby to detain the reader upon any longer.

Have much altered their plans of operations within these very few years; for instance, the last mentioned have entirely disappeared since the year 1796; being put down by dint of law, and the little necessity there was for their services, when the government adopted the plan of recruiting the army out of the militia. That department of crimping which applied itself to the land service, then, being abrogated and done away, we have only to notice that which is now practised with regard to seamen. The East India company contract with Crimps for a supply of sailors to navigate their ships out and home; these are, for the most part Jews, who have made advances to the sailors of money (very