Lot 456

Description

Presentation Gold portrait locket, with .75 carat diamond, engraved on the back 'To/Capt Frank Summers/ from B.I. Asstd Strs Ltd/ In Recognition of/ Services Rendered/ R.M.S. Quetta/ Lost/ Torres Straits/ 28th Feb 1890'. Very fine and unique.

Royal Mail Ship 'Quetta' (British India Steam Navigation Co., W. Denny & Bros; 3, 484 tons) left Brisbane on Friday Febuary 18th 1890 bound for London with 282 person on board. She called at Cooktown and from there steered for the Torres Straits. At 9 o' clock on 28th Febuary she struck a rock off Mount Adolphus and was sunk within three minutes. Survivors reached Somerset near Cape York aboard the life boats she was carrying. 133 passengers and crew were drowned. (Hocking p.574)