Devoured by Sharks.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 476, 31 May 1890, Page 3

Devoured by Sharks.

Mail advices from Aden, dated the 17th ult., contain an account of a terrible scene at sea witnessed from the deck of the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s ship Victoria whilst homeward bouni from Australia. When the steamship Victoria was midway between Colombo and Aden a male passenger, whilst labouring under a fit of temporary insanity, leaped overboard into the sea. The engines of the steamer were instantly stopped and reversed, and as soon as possible a boat was ordered to be manned and lowered. While the boat was being lowered the forward tackle, through some unknown cause, slipped, and the crew, numbering 13, fell into the sea. There was then painful excitement on board, particularly among the passengers, as it was generally known there were numerous sharks in the water. A second boat was quickly lowered successfully with a crew of 11 hands, and their difficult task of rescuing their drowning shipmates was watched by those on board the Victoria, who were horrified by seeing their unfortu-natefellow-Dassengers whohad jumped overboard and "two of the seamen, who were struggling in the water, torn to pieces and devoured by several sharks before they could be rescued. The second boat fortunately succeeded in saving the eleven other sailors. The water for a considerable distance was reddened by the blood of the three unfortunate men who were devoured.