There was an official enquiry into what to the Mary Celeste. This heard that the First Mate of the Gracia, Oliver Deveau, first boarded the Mary Celest. His three man boarding found that "the whole ship was a thoroughly mess".

Captain Morehouse then agreed to allowed [?] first mate to sail the Mary Celeste Gibraltar to claim a salvage reward. Deveau re-boarded the ship in the late afternoon. With an hour of light left he had work fast to get the Mary Celeste to sail again.

Deveau sailed the Mary to Gibraltar. Because of the strange circumstances which the ship was found, there was an Official Enquiry. This lasted three months and attracted attention across the world.

It appears the did not entirely believe either Morehouse or Deveau. They may have [?] insurance fraud or other foul play because they only [?] the minimum reward.[?]