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out with provisions and stores, in other peoples names and
shipped his crew of engineers, officers, fireman and sailors
appearingly the captain was in this swindle along with
this man Henderson, as that was his name. Anyhow they
shipped their crew and got away at midnight then after
a couple of days the news got about that the Ferret was
stolen and swindled a lot of the merchants in Glasgow
anyhow there was no news of the Ferret until she was pas-
sing Gibraltar when she ran up her signals as the Ferret
and she passed just as it was getting dark so after
dark the captain called the crew into her cabin and
told them what the game was, and that they were only
out to make a bit of money. But if any of them did not
care to stay, he would land them anywhere as long as
he could get another crew. So they all agreed to stay with
so he got to work and threw her boats and life bouys (sic) over-
board and slipped out through the straights of Gibraltar in the
dark with no lights out. And shaped a course across the
Atlantic under the name of the Bantam and her boats and
life bouys was picked up and the Ferret was supposed to be
lost with all hands. Anyhow, she arrived at Bahia under
the name of the Bantam and loaded a cargo of coffee beans
then ran her to Capetown under the name of the India, and
sold the cargo, and the captain left her with his share of the
plunder as he got a bit frightened to go any further in her.
Anyhow they shipped another Captain to take her to Melbourne
either for sale or charter. so when she got near port philip
heads the pilot boarded her, and ran her in and anchors
her at Queenscliff still under the name of the India. And when
the pilot left her and got on shore he was telling people that she
was called the India and was either for sale or charter. But
there was a policeman looking at her from Queenscliff and
knew her as the Ferret, as he was an old sailor and knew
her in Glasgow and reported to the Authorities. And they came
down from Melbourne and seised (sic) her, and arrested the
reputed owner Henderson. Also the purser and captain, and