Loss of all of boats
At daybreak the after starboard boat was lowered with three men in it, but a wave struck it, causing the boat to break adrift. The Chief Officer, Mr Carden, seized a line and jumped overboard to try to attach it to the boat. Neither he nor the boat was seen again. The second starboard boat, a cutter, was lowered. It set off, commanded by the second Officer, Mr Miller, to find the Chief Officer and the after lifeboat. But the sea carried the cutter away, and it, too, was not seen again.[4]
The third starboard boat was lowered, commanded by the Third Officer, Mr Manning. A large wave broke over the boat and swept away one of the falls, tipping everyone out of the boat into the sea. All the occupants were rescued, and the third boat was recovered and bailed out. The boat was lowered a second time, again commanded by Third Officer Manning. He took with him the Fourth Officer, Mr Hurlstone; the Chief and Second engineers; ship's surgeon; ship's carpenter; winchman; European able seamen; and 17 women and children from among the passengers. The boat drifted away, and was not seen again.[4]
After all three starboard boats had left the ship, there remained aboard Aden Captain Hill, the Third and Fourth Engineers, 17 passengers, and 33 of the lascars. At about 0900 hours a wave broke over the ship, sweeping Captain Hill and one of the passengers along the deck, and breaking one of Hill's legs. The passenger and the Third engineer helped Hill back to a place of shelter. Shortly afterward another wave swept Captain Hill overboard, and he was not seen again. In the course of the first day, eight of the passengers were also swept overboard and lost. The Third Engineer, Mr White, dislocated his shoulder when trying to save Captain Hill. A wave knocked down the Fourth Engineer, Mr Kelt, in an alley-way, rendering him unconscious for several hours.[4]
