Baring-Gould describes the
curious feature along the wild, rocky coastline of
west Cornwall; namely, the trenched and banked up
paths from the coves along the coast. The shore is
generally faced by precipitous cliffs where, here and
there, streams have cut a gully to the general
elevation of the sea, perhaps with a spit of sand at
the base of the cliff. Caverns thereabouts lace the
rocks in all directions. The smugglers formerly ran
their goods into these coves when the weather
permitted and when government agents were not on the
look out. They stowed their goods in the numerous
caves and sent notice to the local farmers and gentry
of the presence of the good. These men then retrieved
the contraband from the caches
by mule under cover of storm or night.
The locals
pretended that the donkeys were necessary in order to
bring up beneficial sea sand and kelp for dressing
the land, which they did indeed do. The trains of
asses often came up laden with sand, but often with
kegs of brandy as well.
It occurred to
these gentle people that an inquisitive preventative
government man might view these goings on with excess
scrutiny. Accordingly, squires, yeomen, and farmers
cut deep ways to the sea in the downs along the
slopes of hills, and banked them up so that caravans
of the beasts could come and go virtually unseen from
the sea and greatly screened from landside.
The good folk
protested they were just being kind to their animals
protecting them from the driving rains and seaside
gales. However, sheltering the beasts from the eyes
of the coastguard was as important as sheltering them
from the elements.
The smuggled often
put stockings on the hooves of asses when carrying
illegal goods on the roads in order to deaden the
sound.
Baring-Gould, A
Book of Cornwall, pages
262-265.)
