TEXT	{
Dear reader, if you opened this book that means you are interested in smuggling. In this book I will try to teach you some things about smuggling in the hope you learn from my mistakes and avoid the mistakes I had to endure when I started smuggling.

As you have probably noticed already, the Caribbean can be a dangerous place, and it is even more dangerous for people who break the law. However, you can still grow old doing this kind of work, or at least that is what I hope with you.

Now onto the important part: you do not like the trade embargoes which the countries issue over their islands, and you want to provide the poor citizens of these islands with these goods for a reasonable price. 

Well, dear reader, this is where smuggling comes in play best! Luckily for us, there are multiple nations controlling the Caribbean so the contraband goods are available on other islands and we do not have to get them all the way from Europe.

Different islands and different nations have classified different goods as contraband. If you procured some of these goods, you should set sail to an appropriate island of your choice and head into town. 

Smugglers are often hard to find, but in most cases they make sure there is an agent in the tavern of the town to work as a middle man. He will look like a rude person to you, but remember that he is sitting there risking his life. If the guards found out he was helping the smugglers, he would end up with a rope around his neck. He can get you into contact with the smugglers on the island and he will tell you where to meet them.

But now comes the tricky part: the coastguard. You see, most nations, for obvious reasons, do not like it if you smuggle restricted goods to their island, so they patrol the waters and shores to catch you in the act. 

Luckily for us, often these patrol schedules are not completely filled, especially around meal time, and there are windows where you can make your deal without getting caught. 

But knowing when these windows occur can be very difficult. Often coastguard officers will have a book on them with the patrol schedule, but they are not going to give it to you willingly.

Some islands will have tighter security with larger patrols and fewer, shorter breaks than others. It will vary over time as the governors decide how much of a problem they think smuggling is and order more or fewer men to the shores. If you or others smuggle a large amount of goods to the same island over a short time, this is liable to happen quicker.

Smuggling to an island with many patrols can be very dangerous but also very profitable as more goods are controlled and the demand for our services thus grows. 

It is wise to have that in mind when choosing where to bring and sell your goods. Word usually gets around when islands increase or decrease their patrols, so try and catch up to the latest news when at shore. The tavern keepers can often help you there, as they hear most of what is going on in the Caribbean. 

Your smuggler contact can also tell you of the current security level. You will have to weigh the risks with the rewards. Cancelling the deal will not make the smugglers happy, but sometimes you have to think of your own and your crew's health and well-being, and the smugglers will not stop doing business with you for the occasional misstep. As your experience grows, you will have an easier time avoiding the coastguard even on tightly controlled islands.

An officer with good fortune, good physique and maybe a silver tongue can be sent out to scout the shores and make subtle inquiries around town to report what time the coastguard will be absent.

But this is of course risky. Even a greenhorn should have an easy time on islands with lax security, but will run a very large risk of capture and death when the security is tight. But when your officers reach a masterful grasp of the fine art of smuggling, they will be able to crack even the toughest of nuts.

I often went to the local tavern and tried my luck with some guards who were enjoying their time off. Most guards are regular people with the same vices as the rest of us, so with some charm, a well-thought-out lie or, if that fails, some gold, you can often get them to tell you what you need. 

Especially as they know what I had to find out the hard way. The patrol schedule on an island is only for a set time and when that time has passed, they will make a new schedule. 

They do this to make sure that if their schedule was procured in some way, it becomes useless and they even hope someone will still use it so they can catch them in the act when they think they are safe. This is what happened to me. Luckily I was able to flee just in time to save my life and that of my crew.

Sometimes, however, the patrol schedule you got your hands on can be false. The guard might have lied to you or your officer may have been mistaken, or maybe you are simply not very good with people. 

But do not despair, dear reader, all is not lost. There are extra steps you can take to make it harder for the coastguard to interrupt your livelihood even if they patrol the shores. 

As your experience grows, this will happen naturally, but you can also try and make your trade on a moonless night, in the rain or, best of all, in the fog, to make it harder for them to find and catch you. 

An island with lax security will have fewer, smaller patrols and will thus also have a harder time finding you. There are many things you can do to help your chances of success.

And even if, despite all precautions, you still happen to be discovered, it need not be the end of your career. The occasional wanton murder of a few coastguards will not cause a war.

If worst comes to worst and one or more ships are waiting for you as you weigh anchor, you can often outrun them. If they are of a nation you would rather not become an enemy of, do not open fire! While taking the lives of a few guards is a minor event in the eyes of the governors, a ship is expensive and they will get very cross. An agile ship can hence be a smuggler's best friend!

I hope this helps you, dear readers, to be aware of the pitfalls of smuggling and that you will have a shining, lucrative career as a smuggler.

Was signed JL and DD
}