As y'all know, the great clipper, the Flying Cloud, was never involved in slave trade or piracy – every hour of its entire life was logged and the logs still exist. Further there was no other sailing ship since the 1600's of this name. (Launched April 15, 1851; went ashore June 19,1874 and was condemned and sold.)

William Doerflinger suggests (Shantymen and Shantyboys, pp. 135, 334-35) that the ballad, "The Flying Cloud", could be inspired by a temperance tract purporting to be the confession of one of the crew of the notorious Benito de Soto. See Library of Congress Control Number: 42043486: "Dying declaration of Nicholas Fernandez, who with nine others was executed in front of Cadiz harbour, December 29, 1829 for piracy and murder on the high seas. Translated from a Spanish copy by Ferdinand Bayer. Annexed is a solemn warning to youth (and others) to beware of the baneful habit of intemperance"

          14.It's next to Newgate we were brought, bound down in iron chains,
             For the sinking and the plundering of ships on the Spanish main.
             The judge he found us guilty; we were condemned to die.
             Young men, a warning by me take and shun all piracy. 

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