This ship, the S.S. Ferret, looks like an unprepossessing seagoing workhorse. In fact, for a time, it had a colourful criminal history. In mid-1929 The Daily News, The West Australian' s sister evening newspaper, published a retrospective on its adventures. Built on the Clyde in 1871, it travelled along the WA coast between Albany, Hopetoun, Esperance and Eucla from 1909-1912. But in   October 1881 the ship had been chartered by arch-conman James Anderson. Then it disappeared. "Later a boat and lifebuoys marked with her name were picked up in the Straits of Gibraltar, and it was thought that the vessel had been lost," The Daily News recounted. In fact, she had been stolen and her name changed to India. Crossing the Atlantic to Brazil, a cargo of coffee was taken on board and sold in Cape Town, South Africa for Â£13,000. Next stop, Albany, WA. "While the India was in port the Government Resident and sub-Collector of Customs received information regarding the bona-fides of the ship's name, and communicated this information to Melbourne, while the Ferret was between Albany and Melbourne," the paper explained. Melbourne police boarded the ship and found its name had been filed from the ship's bell. The main culprits were arrested and, after a trial, where they were charged with conspiracy on the high seas, were sentenced to prison terms. Anderson received the harshest penalty of seven years. The Ferret returned to honest toil and was wrecked in the Adelaide Gulf in the mid-1920s. rod.moran@wanews.com.au