THE STEAMER INDIA.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2540, 12 May 1881, Page 3

THE STEAMER INDIA.

(Sydney “ Morning Herald,” May 2.) The following is the deposition of Frederick Nicholas, an able seaman on board;. th.e. stolen, steamer .India, made before the authorities Tn-Melbourne :j-' “I joined the vessel at Cardiff bn October 22, 1880, and signed articles there.. A, colored man named Watkins was ' master' and J ihe’ present master (Wright) was chief mate, and the man now called Wallace, acting as; purser, was then known to me by the name of Walker. All the present crew, excepting the' chief mate and fourth engineer, joined a.nd signed in Cardiff under their own names, We left 1 Cardiff on ihe October 25, and proceeded to Milford, where We lay one week and left for Marseilles—as we were told. We sighted the rock of Gibraltar showed our number, entered the Straits, and at 8 p.m the ship’s Tread was turned round The next land we made was Cape de Verde. We lay a fortnight and three days at the Island of San Antonio, where we took in forty tons of ha 11a.d anji water, ami then to Santos, in lire Frazil*. vVe lay the-re 14 days and. took in a cargo of coffee ; and the,i proceeded U* Cape Town where vvo discharged h. We-lay at the Cape a f* evi.Mii. lit. and proceeded to Mauritius, .« hero ducked and .remained .i-2 Hays. ' From i hence we proceeded t.o,- Albany. look in coal, and left for iidbsoa’s* Bay, where wo.have boon sine-.;*. J. have not been on shore Im.' 1 . and C was threatened by ihe supposes owner, vti.it a teroim iu his hand, if I

should say anything. At one time we called him Mr B. and now call him Mr H. Captain Wright, whose proper riame is Callyne, threatened me to-day wheri taking him on shore, which the carperiter (Allen) also heard, that if I, or anyone else, went against him, he, would take their lives, and showed me a revolver,which he took out of his pocket. After we left'the rock of Gibraltar, the vessel’s name iyas altered to* Benton. Gray painted the old name Ferret out, and.painted in the new one. The name she carried till she took in coffee .at. Hie Brazils, and until five days’ sail of Hie Qape, when her name was altered to India. Gray pairited her name, and put the'red star on the funnel. When we joined her, her funnel was yellow, but was altered to black on leaving Gibraltar. The articles produced have false names to. all the crew.. My forged name is Frederick Smith on the articles.”