A SUSPICIOUS CRUISER,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1066, 8 April 1880, Page 2

A SUSPICIOUS CRUISER,

(Sydney Evening News.) This morning considerable excitement was created in maritime circles by the announcement that a ship, which had entered Port Jackson on Saturday last, had turned out to be & private vessel or privateer, to be employed in the kidnapping trade of the South Seas. Our reporter made inquiries, and the following particulars were obtained. A barque of 682 tons register, with a crew of thirty men, entered the port last Saturday, and was immediately afterwards boarded by Mr. Tide-Surveyor Smythe, who found, according to the captain's report, that in the islands severe weather had been encountered, and four anchors had been lost ; that the ship was engaged in the island trade, and was in ballast of bricks. When at New Ireland on 20th February it was decided to run for Sydney to repair damages. There was one passenger on board — a foreigner — who could speak a very little English, and on Mr. Smythe boarding the ship, the answers of the interrogatories put by that officer were of so unsatisfactory a nature that suspicions were attached to the vessel. The captain is a foreigner, as are all the crew and when interviewed by the boarding officer, he appeared to be " very much at sea." He had not papers, was not aware of the place his vessel hailed from, he only put in under distress to repair and rent, and a special clearance was asked for her. The suspicion of the authorities were immediately aroused, and the water police were communicated with. Since then detectives have been on the alert, and the senior naval officer of the port has kept watched over her, to prevent a midnight flit. Search has been made on the vessel for arms, but up to this none have been found. Several cases of machinery were discovered aboard, stowed away, and it has to be learned whether, under the brick ballast a large quantity of arras is not secreted.