The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-10
CAST AWAY At SEA
Fearful Suffering of the En-
tire Crew.
TOLD BY CAPTAINSWID
THE IEA RTLESSNESS OF THE
PEOPLE THEY FELL AMONG.
PLACED ON A DIS0LATE ISLAND
After Many Hardships and Much Suffering
Those Who Lived Returned to
Their Homes.

Liverpool, July 9.-The correspondent
Of the Associated Press has had an in
terview with Mrs. Andrew Christie,
widow of Capt. Christie of the wrecked
British ship Traveller, which went on the
reefs off the island of Rodrigues, in the
Indian ocean, $50 miles northeast of
Mauritius, on the 4th of last February.
Mrs. Christie tells terrible story of
the sufferings of the survivors. Almost
Immediately after the Traveller left Java
for the Delaware breakwater the Java
fever broke out and spread rapidly. Ev-
erybody on board was more or less af-
fected, including the Christie baby.
which died and was buried at sea.
Another victim leaped overheard and
was drowned. On December ii the chief
officer died and on December % Captain
Christie succumhed, leaving only ten
men to man the ship.
Second Mate Pitch then decided to
steer for Mauritius and when the Travel
Ter finally approached Rodrigues Island
only he and two seamen were able to
work the ship.
A pilot who put out from the island,
on learning the state of affairs, refused
to go on board and returned to the shore,
where he spread the report that every
body on tn Traveller had the yellow jack.
Hours passed and 10 assistance came.
The second mate, fearing that the Trav-
eller would go ashore, launched a boat
and took the sick survivors with I'm
with view of landing them.
The Governor and the inhabitants of
the island rushed down to the shore and
threatened to shoot them if they landed.
Mr.. Pitch appealed to them, imploring
them if they were Christians not to be-
have inhumanly. He said that his men
were too weak to pull back to the ship
and that if they succeeded in getting
there they would probably be drowned.
He asked for assistance to take the Trav-
eller out of her dangerous position and
begged for medicine.
His appeals were roughly ignored and
he was obliged to put about and go back
to the vessel, which they finally reached
almost dead with exhaustion and despair.
The last man had scarcely quilted the
row-boat when it was swept away and
lost.
No assistance came and that night the
Traveller was carried upon the reefs and
wrecked
The next morning the Rodriguers
sent a pilot and brought off Mrs. Chris
tie, her surviving child and others, and
then with the assistance of the blacks
from the island, the survivors were taken
to desolate sand island in the vicinity,
where they were kept for twenty-five
days, living in huts made of leaves and
with nothing but leaves to lie upon.
SO fearful were the Rodriguers of con-
tact that the food for the survivors was
transferred from boat to boat before it
was finally left upon the beach of the
sand island. Blacks were sent to cook
it, but no physician came for fortnight,
and even when he did come, according to
Mrs. Christie, he did not land but exam
ined the sick through glass from his
boat.
Meanwhile two had died and the sec
ond mate was the only man strong
enough to dig their graves. On the 22d,
realizing that the Monsoon would soon
submerge the sand island the Rodri-
guers moved the unfortunates to Rodri-
CUES, where they remained two months
and were well treated
From that point they were carried to
Maurtius and then proceeded home
wards.
Mrs. Christie says that the behavior Of
the Rodriguers is all the more inexplica-
BILE in view of the fact that they allowed
large part fthe cargo of the Traveller
to be salved.