OVERBOARD AMONG THE SHARKS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 788, 14 March 1871, Page 3

OVERBOARD AMONG THE SHARKS.

" St6p licr ! stop her ! stop her !" Such was the wild and despairing cry that broke on the midnight air from alongside the Eoyal Mail steamer Biaf ra as she literally cleft her way through the heavy head-seas, caused by a severe gale, on the passage from Gambia river to Sierra Leone, on a night of Julyf last. The cry was promptly answered by Mr. Holmes, the second officer, who at once cast adrift a lifebuoy and ordered the steamer to be stopped. It seems that in the height of the gale one of the anchors had got partly loose, and, in order to secure it, the boatswain, a gallant and active seaman, got over the bows to perform that duty ; a heavy sea struck mm, washing him overboard, and as he floated past the bridge ho hailed the Officer of the watch. All hands were called, steamer hove to, quarter-boats Cleared and starboard boat lowered ; and volunteers being called for, the purser USir. Dore), the third officer (Mr. Uowden), the fourth officer (Mr. Lor-

ford), with two quartermasters gallantly offered their services, and the boat left the ship in charge of Mr. Lorford in search of the unfortunate man. After an hour and a-half's search he was found, supported by the life-buoy, and was just about letting go his hold of it from great exhaustion. His hardest struggle had been with the sharks, who surrounded liim the whole time, but most fortunately he was able to keep them at bay by continued splashing in the water with his legs, sharks being very timid and easily frightened by such noise. It Beem.ii that this man had been a champion swimmer in England, and while in the water managed to divest himself of all his clothing. lie is now quite well having only suffered from over-exertion.