Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           EzraWeeden,thoughhisperiodsofespionagewerenecessarilybriefandintermittentonaccountofhisseavoyaging,hadavindictivepersistencewhichthebulkofthepracticaltownsfolkandfarmerslacked;andsubjectedCurwen’saffairstoascrutinysuchastheyhadneverhadbefore.

           Manyoftheoddmaneuversofthestrangemerchant’svesselshadbeentakenforgrantedonaccountoftheunrestofthetimes,wheneverycolonistseemeddeterminedtoresisttheprovisionsoftheSugarActwhichhamperedaprominenttraffic.SmugglingandevasionweretheruleinNarragansettBay,andnocturnallandingsofillicitcargoeswerecontinuouscommonplaces.ButWeeden,nightafternightfollowingthelightersorsmallsloopswhichhesawstealofffromtheCurwenwarehousesattheTownStreetdocks,soonfeltassuredthatitwasnotmerelyHisMajesty’sarmedshipswhichthesinisterskulkerwasanxioustoavoid.Priortothechangein1766theseboatshadforthemostpartcontainedchainednegroes,whowerecarrieddownandacrossthebayandlandedatanobscurepointontheshorejustnorthofPawtuxet;beingafterwarddrivenupthebluffandacrosscountrytotheCurwenfarm,wheretheywerelockedinthatenormousstoneoutbuildingwhichhadonlyfivehighnarrowslitsforwindows.Afterthatchange,however,thewholeprogramwasaltered.Importationofslavesceasedatonce,andforatimeCurwenabandonedhismidnightsailings.Then,aboutthespringof1767,anewpolicyappeared.