FOUND DROWNED.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5083, 9 July 1877, Page 2

FOUND DROWNED.

Yesterday afternoon as a gentleman, Mr. Wood, was riding along the road leading to the Hutt he saw something floating in the water which he took to be a bag or sack, but it attracted his attention because at first he thought it might be the body of a man. On returning by the same road the tide had receded, and at about the same spot at which he recognised an object in the water, he saw on the beach the body of a man. He rode into town, and gave information to the police. Sergeant Smith thereupon instructed Sergeant Fleming and a constable to fetch the body into town. They did so, and on searching the body found money in the pockets. There is every reason to believe that the body is that of a man named Cleveland, who is missing from the brigantine Excelsior, of which he was in charge as watchman. It appears that Cleveland was on Saturday night in company with the mate of that vessel and another man, and they left him at the wharf, from which he went in a boat, intending to scull out to the vessel, which lay opposite the Empire Hotel, or thereabouts. The inference, therefore, is that Cleveland, perhaps having had more liquor than was good for him, fell out of the boat and was drowned, and that the body drifted down towards Ngahauranga. There seems every reason to suppose that the body picked up yesterday is that of Cleveland. An inquest will be held to-day, when probably the body will be indentided.