FORESTALLING," writes Adam Smith, "is the buying or contracting for any cattle, provisions, or merchandize, on its way to the market (or at market), or dissuading persons from buying their goods there, or persuading them to raise the price, or spreading any false rumour with intent to enhance the value of any article. In the remoter periods of our history several statutes were passed, prohibiting forestalling under severe penalties; but as more enlarged views upon such subjects began to prevail, their impolicy became obvious, and they were consequently repealed in 1772. But forestalling is still punishable by fine and imprisonment; though it be doubtful whether any jury would now convict an individual accused of such practices.

In the "forestallers" or middlemen are known as "bummarees," who, as regards means, are a far superior class to the "hagglers" (the forestallers of the "green" markets). The bummaree is the jobber or speculator on the fish-exchange. Perhaps on every busy morning men buy a quantity of fish, which they account likely to be remunerative, and retail it, or dispose of it in lots to the fishmongers or costermongers. Few if any of these dealers, however, are merely bummarees. A salesman, if he have disposed of the fish consigned to himself, will turn bummaree if any bargain tempt him. Or a fishmonger may purchase twice the quantity he requires for his own trade, in order to procure a cheaper stock, and "bummaree" what he does not require. These speculations in fish are far more hazardous than those in fruit or vegetables, for later in the day a large consignment by railway may reach , and, being thrown upon the market, may reduce the price half. In the vegetable and fruit markets there is but arrival. The costermongers are among the best customers of the bummarees.

I asked several parties as to the origin of the word "bummaree," and how long it had been in use. "Why, bless your soul, sir," said labourer, "there always was bummarees, and there always will be; just as Jack there is a 'rough,' and I'm a blessed 'bobber.'" man assured me it was a French name; another that it was Dutch. A fishmonger, to whom I was indebted for information, told me he thought that the bummaree was originally a bum-boat man, who purchased of the wind-bound smacks at Gravesend or the Nore, and sent the fish up rapidly to the market by land.

I may add, as an instance of the probable gains of the forestallers, in the olden time, that a tradesman whose family had been long connected with , showed me by his predecessors' books and memoranda, that in the depth of winter, when the Thames was perhaps choked with ice, and no supply of fish "got up" to London, any, that might, by management, reach used to command exorbitant prices. To speak only of the present century: , a cod fish ( lbs.) was bought by Messrs. Phillips and Robertson, fishmongers, , for , a salmon ( lbs.) was bought by Mr. Phillips at a guinea a pound, for the fish! , lobsters were sold for a guinea each.

The "haggler," I may here observe, is the bummarce or forestaller or middleman of the green markets; as far as the costermonger's trade is concerned, he deals in fruit and vegetables. Of these trafficers there are fully in Coventgarden-market; from to in Farringdon; from to in the Borough; from to in Spitalfields; and none in Portman-market; such being the only wholesale green-markets for the purposes of the costermongers. The haggler is a middleman who makes his purchases of the growers when the day is somewhat advanced, and the whole produce conveyed to the market has not been disposed of. The grower will then, rather than be detained in town, sell the whole lot remaining in his cart or wagon to a haggler, who re-sells it to the costers, or to any other customer, from a stand which he hires by the day. The costermongers who are the most provident, and either have means or club their resources for a large purchase, often buy early in the morning, and so have the advantage of anticipating their fellows in the street-trade, with the day before them. Those who buy later are the customers of the hagglers, and are street-sellers, whose means do not command an extensive purchase, or who do not care to venture upon unless it be very cheap. These men speak very bitterly of the hagglers, calling them "cracked--up shopkeepers" and "scurfs," and declaring that but for them the growers must remain, and sell off their produce cheap to the costermongers.

A species of forestalling is now not uncommon, and is on the increase among the costermongers themselves. There are men, having the command of money, who attend the markets and buy either fish or vegetables largely. man especially buys almost daily

Moreover, a good many of the more intelligent street-dealers now club together— of them, for instance—contributing each, and a quantity of fish is thus bought by of their body (a smaller contribution suffices to buy vegetables). Perhaps, on an equal partition, each man thus gets for his as much as might have cost him , had he bought "single-handed." This mode of purchase is also on the increase.