Chapter 605: The Rapid Growth of Anglo-French Trade
Seven or eight carriages rolled slowly onto the dock.
Crew members of the Leisure quickly jumped ashore, shouting instructions to load the goods from the carriages onto the ship.
Demville and dozens of sailors hurried forward, unloading wooden crates from the carriages and carrying them aboard.
Lifting two crates onto his shoulder, Demville found them surprisingly light. Glancing at his distant relative, Madenot—a seasoned sailor serving as the Leisure's second mate—he whispered, "What's inside these? Nothing that could land us on the gallows, I hope?"
Even with his limited knowledge, Demville could guess that with such high pay, late-night loading, and avoiding major ports, this wasn't exactly legal trade.
"It's silk," Madenot replied casually. "The two crates you're carrying will sell in Britain for 300 francs. There's no real danger in this business. I've sailed on this route four times, and everything's gone smoothly."
"Silk?" Demville looked back at the carriages. "Are all those crates filled with it?"
"More or less, plus some fine wine."
"Good heavens, that must be worth a fortune!"
"Not sure, but at least 60,000 francs," Madenot guessed.
"So our boss must be loaded…"
"Not necessarily," Madenot said with a sly grin. "I heard that if you're connected with the Purcell Gang, you can get goods from France on credit with just a small deposit."
He nodded toward the Leisure. "Even this ship is borrowed from them. Apparently, if you successfully complete 12 trips, you can buy the ship at a dirt-cheap price."
"Really?!" Demville's eyes widened. "The Purcell Gang is that powerful?"
"Of course," Madenot whispered conspiratorially. "They've got connections with some big names.
"Once I've saved enough, I plan to borrow a ship and start running 'trade' myself. When I do, you can be my boatswain—assuming you're up for it."
Demville's eyes lit up with excitement but quickly dimmed with concern. "So what exactly is this 'trade'?"
"We set sail tomorrow, so I may as well tell you now. This ship smuggles silk, wine, and cosmetics into Britain—bypassing customs, of course."
"You mean… smuggling?!"
"Don't say it like that. We call it 'private trade.' These goods can fetch a 30% profit in Britain!"
"But if we're caught…"
"Relax, that won't happen. The Purcell Gang has connections everywhere," Madenot assured him, patting his shoulder. "And even in the worst-case scenario, your sister would get 4,000 francs in insurance. After that, someone will pull strings to get you released."
All night long, carriages from Bruges arrived nonstop, unloading goods onto several ships moored at the makeshift dock.
During the day, all activity ceased, resuming only at dusk. As evening fell, the Leisure and two other schooners raised half their sails and began drifting away from the shore.
The three ships kept about two nautical miles apart as they headed northwest. A few hours later, they neared the Norfolk coast in Britain.
The English Channel was calm, and the routes were so well-traveled that the helmsman navigated as if by instinct. As long as there was some light, they wouldn't stray off course.
The Leisure was the first to furl its sails and stop. After about an hour, lights flickered in the distance.
Madenot, along with the third mate, rowed a small boat toward the lights. They returned shortly, and the third mate handed a slip of paper to the captain.
The captain immediately issued orders: "Head due west. Begin sailing in 25 minutes. At 4:20, furl the sails 10 nautical miles from the shore. Maintain strict light discipline."
Demville grabbed Madenot as he passed by and whispered, "What were you doing just now?"
"Getting a 'pass,'" Madenot said smugly, winking. "This area is crawling with British customs ships. If you're not careful, you'll run straight into them.
"That's why the Purcell Gang has legitimate merchant ships scouting the area, tracking customs patrols and charting routes to avoid them completely."
Demville's jaw dropped in astonishment.
Little did he know that the so-called Purcell Gang was just one of the many "aliases" of the Special Trade Association.
These aliases included gangs, smuggling networks, and even trade guilds that recruited smugglers in the Southern Netherlands and northern France. They were supplied by the Industrial Development Fund and protected by the French Intelligence Bureau.
Over the past few months, the scale of "special trade" had increased twelvefold, with average monthly trade volumes reaching 5 million francs—and growing rapidly.
Thanks to their meticulous organization and unified management, not a single smuggling ship had been caught by British customs.
This was the power of a state-backed operation!
The Leisure successfully avoided all British customs ships and docked at a secluded Norfolk beach.
To call it a "beach" was an understatement—it featured a makeshift wooden dock and a crude path winding through the tall grass and bushes to a small church eight miles inland.
The church's clergy, in exchange for monthly payments of 5 to 20 pounds, even helped unload cargo during busy times. The church's cellar had been expanded tenfold to temporarily store goods.
On the improvised dock, over a hundred "workers" swiftly unloaded the ship and loaded the crates onto carts bound for the church.
Every Monday and Thursday, British merchants would transport large quantities of goods from nearby farmhouses to markets in Norfolk, Essex, and even London.
At this time, taxes on goods in Britain were a cornerstone of its economy. From birth to marriage to household goods, nearly everything was taxed—windows, saddles, face powder, dried fruit, oil, and more. Tobacco, alcohol, tea, and sugar were taxed even more heavily.
So, when these "duty-free" goods from the Southern Netherlands hit the British market, legitimate merchants couldn't compete.
Smuggled goods were sold at 80–90% of market prices, with guaranteed quality. Even so, they earned a 30% profit—testament to the exorbitant tariffs and taxes in Britain.
From Norfolk outward, legitimate shops began collapsing.
However, savvy merchants quickly caught on, switching to "special channels" for their supplies.
During this period, British citizens were delighted—their daily expenses had dropped significantly.
Enterprising merchants, particularly those who didn't follow the rules, were equally pleased—their prices easily crushed the competition, and sales soared.
The only ones unhappy were the tax collectors in British cities, whose revenues had plummeted by 35% over the past three months.
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