TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3887, 4 January 1884, Page 4

TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF A SHIPWRECKED CREW.

Tho steamer Victoria, which has arrived at Liverpool from Bombay, brought seven of the crew of the steamer Knight of tho Bath, which was wrecked oft' tho Arabian coast, and by which sixteen of the crew perished. The Knight of tho Bath struck omiro'ik on the 17th of June, five days after leaving Bombay for Havre. Tho weather at the time was of a most fearful nature, and when the first boat was being lowered it struck with great force against tho side ef the vessel, and one of tho occupants became so alarmed that he jumped into the sea and was drowned. The boat afterwards cleared off tho vessel, and anothor boat was got ready. Tho sea made a clean breach over tho vessel, and from time to timo carried many of the crew with it. Captain T. Williams commanded tho Knight of the Bath, and his brother was boatswain. The two men shook hands and bade each other goodbye, tho boatswain, who was a powerful swimmer, saying he would go over the stern and mako a swim for it. This ho did; but he was never afterwards seen. Captain Williams was washed overboard, but managed to keep himself afloat until pickod up about half an hour afterwards by ono of tho boats. Some of tho crow remained on board, but worn washed overboard and drowned. After being two days in boata without anything to cat, tho men landed at Kooria Mooria Island to get water from a creek. Thero was no sign of life at tho spot whero tho men landed, but when they had all got on shore between one and two hundred natives surrounded them, and instantly set about divesting the whole of the crew of their clothing. The i.-landers were armod with swords and knives, and the crew aro of opinion thatthoy would have fared very much worse had it not been for tho intervention of the native women. Tho crow wanted to reach Muscat, a town some three or four hundred miles distant. They wero without shoes, and having to walk on the sharp pointed coral and othor substance, their feefc became lacerated. For four dayß no food passed their lips, and the poor fellows wero forced to eat raw sand crabs. -•JUfoottugr wjw fttoodly fishermen, they gat

some seed from them, but it was not sufficient for the seventeen men. Thinking that bettor and safer progress could be made by water than by land the crew took three fishermen's canoes which they found on the beach, but no sooner had they got afloat than the canoes either capsized or became filled witd water, causing the men to abandon the attempt. The fishermen were oxtremely kiud to tho unfortunate men, and kept them for forty-five days, sharing with them their rice, seeds, and shark. Tho steamer Amberwitch at last came along tho coast, and brought tho seventeen survivors to Bombay.