a wee’ little update on mud larks…..Mud Larks were known to be part of organized gangs in British ports back in the 1860’s. Workers on the deck would toss cargo overboard at high tide, when the tide ebbed mud larks would wander through the mud picking the stuff up and resell to places in and about the port. The Port of London lost an estimated 500,00 ($$$$) worth of cargo’s a year. Course at least you wasn’t a night plunderer, a waterman of not the highest caliber; or a scuffle hunter who prowled the wharfs; or light or heavy horsemen (authority folks)… now lumpers had it best….wore loose clothing and or had enlarged sheep or cow bladders to smuggle stuff off the port or remove their share of plunder w a wink and a nod to the light horsmen… lumbers and river pirates also used to cut lighters and barges adrift and follow them until they ran aground and then plundered them to hearts content. Ah thee noble folks of the ports back in the mid 1800’s.