The data is taken from an independent account of one of the passengers (Lorenzen, Flying Saucers, The Startling Evidence, 18) and extracts from the ship's log (Edwards 12).
On the night of June 30, 1947, the coastal steamer Landovery Castle was passing the Straits of Madagascar, Kenya (sic - the Mozambique Channel?), en route from Mombassa to Cape Town, South Africa. The sighting occurred about 11:00 P.M. on a moonless, star-studded night. Mrs. A.M. King, who made the independent report, was in the bow with a
companion when her attention was attracted to something approaching the ship very rapidly. A passenger strolling at the stern also became aware of an unusual blackness, blotting out many stars, that seemed to be getting larger, or approaching. He pointed this out to a deck officer who agreed and called a superior to the deck . Altogether, the events were witnessed by 9 passengers and 3 ship's officers.
By the time the object was alongside, it had slowed to the speed of the ship, and followed alongside, but standing off. As it arrived it beamed a powerful searchlight down on the water, and the object could be quite clearly seen in the light reflected from the water,
Mrs. King described it as a gigantic cigar shaped vehicle made of steel, possibly four times as long as the Landovery Castle and four times as high, about 50 yards to one side of the vessel and maintaining a height of 20 feet above the surface of the water. The ship's officers reported in the log that it was a gigantic dirigible-shaped object about twice the size of the Landovery Castle, pacing them at a half mile off the starboard side. The latter estimate put the length at roughly 1000 feet. The log said that it was made of such a polished, reflecting material that it not only reflected the light from the rear, but also the stars. It stayed alongside several minutes, making no discernible sound.
Mrs. King's account furnished the following additional valuable information. Just before the object left, it cut off the searchlight. "Fierce flames" issued from the rear, shooting out a distance of half its length as it gained speed, soundlessly disappearing in seconds. It seemed to Mrs. King that there must be something like a huge furnace inside, but she thought it strange that she could not hear the flames.
Llandovery Castle incident. A cylindrical object, about 1000 feet long, was observed by 12 witnesses for a few seconds.