in
readiness for the arrival of the _Catalpa_. In the meantime two more men
joined the expedition--John King, who brought a supply of money from
New Zealand, which was most useful, and Thomas Brennan, who arrived at
the last moment, just as the _Catalpa_ appeared off the coast, and had
got into communication with Breslin.

Everything being arranged, it was determined to carry off the following
prisoners--Martin Harrington, Thomas Darragh, James Wilson, Martin
Joseph Hogan, Robert Cranston, and Thomas Henry Hassett. They were at
work outside the prison walls, or at other employment equally
accessible, when they were taken away in two traps from Freemantle,
about nine o'clock in the morning of the 17th of April, 1876. By the
time the news of their flight, and of the direction they had taken, was
known in the prison, the party had reached Rockingham, and were on the
sea in the whale-boat which was to take them to the _Catalpa_.

The gunboat _Conflict_, which was usually stationed at King George's
Sound, was telegraphed for by the authorities, but it was found that the
wires had been cut the previous night, and by the time they were
repaired the vessel had gone on a cruise.

After some hours' delay, the governor engaged the passenger steamer
_Georgette_ to go in pursuit. It was nine o'clock that evening before
she left Freemantle. The police boat was cruising about also, looking
for the whaler and her boat. The _Georgette_ came up with the _Catalpa_
about 8 o'clock on the following (Tuesday) morning. A demand to go on
board and search the barque was refused. As it was found there was a
short supply aboard the _Georgette_, she returned to Freemantle to coal,
leaving the police boat to watch the _Catalpa_, and to look out for the
whale boat containing the rescued men, which had not yet appeared,
although, as it turned out, not far off at the time. The boat had been
vainly searching for the _Catalpa_ all night, and had only now
discovered her. The party in the boat had actually seen the _Georgette_
overhauling the _Catalpa_, and had yet themselves remained undiscovered.
In order to keep clear of falling into the hands of the _Georgette_ they
stood off from the ship, and it was about half-past two o'clock in the
afternoon before the boat containing the rescued men approached the
_Catalpa_ again. They then saw the police boat making for the ship at
about the same distance from her on the land side as the whale boat was
to th