A bigger boat

A "true story" from 1799, though I can't find it mentioned earlier than this Times article in 1835. Lieutenant Whylie of the "Sparrow" suspects a supposedly neutral ship, the "Nancy" of smuggling but his case doesn't look very strong and the "Nancy"'s captain brings a counter-claim. While waiting for the case to come up, Whylie visits a colleague, Commander Fitton of the "Ferret". Unexpectedly, Fitton is able to contribute vital evidence, having found the "Nancy"' s incriminating papers in the stomach of a shark that he had caught that morning. Another version of events is here.

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