“ The boat's crew under coxswain Mills then watched the whaler while the "Georgette" steamed back to Fremantle. There is no doubt a great mistake was made here. The whale boat was not in sight; there is no doubt she had run in under the sand hills out of view of the "Georgette", and therefore the steamer should not have left the spot. The police boat could have been sent to Fremantle to request a party of men to be sent along the beach, and by this means the prisoners and the Yankee skipper could have been caught. ”

“ In consequence of this order the man with the key on his finger (whose name is Cranstan) was searched for, but was not to be found; it then became known that not only he but a number of Fenian prisoners were missing. Search was at once began, but without success; in a short time, however, a faint gleam of light dawned upon the authorities, as they remembered a whaler had recently put into Bunbury and might probably, in some way, be connected with the escape prisoners, but an application at the telegraph office discovered the fact that communication by wire had been stopped. ”

“ The Home Government have themselves to blame for escapes of this description, and as there is now no doubt as to the necessity for a man-of-war cruiser being always on our coast, it may possibly be deemed prudent to station one here to prevent a repetition of this unparrelled piece of Yankee impudence. ”