New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-10
WRECK OF THE IRA WELLER
A TERRIBLE TALE TOLD BY CAPTAIN
CHRIsrIE's WIDOW.
eICK PEOPLE INgUMANLY TREATED BY THE IN
HABiTANTs OF RoDRIGUEs-TwENTY-Two


HABlTANTs OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
DAYS ON pEsoI.ATE SAND ISLAND.
Liverpool July 0.-The correspondent OF the
Associated Press has had an interview with
Mrs. Andrew Christie. widow Of Captain Christie
OF the wrecked British ship Traveller. which
went on the reefs off the island OF Rodrigues. IN
the Indian Ocean, $40 miles northeast Of Maur-
thus. on February f. Mrs. Christie tells ter
rible story of the sufferings Of the survivors
Almost Immediately after the Traveller left
Java for the Delaware Breakwater the Java
River fever broke out and spread rapidly.
Everybody on board was more or less affected.
including the Christie baby which died and was
buried at sea. Another victim leaped overheard
and was drowned On December IA the chief
officer died and on December % Captain Chr'stie'
leaving only ten men to man the ship
Second Mate Ri.ch then decided to steer FOR
Mauritius and when the Traveller finally ap-
preached Rodrigues Island only he and two sea-
men were able to work ship. pilot who put
out from the island, on learning the state OF ar
fairs. refused to go on board. and returned to
the shore where he spread the report that every
body on the Traveller had the yellow jack Hours
passed and no assistance came. The second
mate fearing that the Traveller would go
ashore. launched a boat and took the sick sur
vivors with him. with view Of landing them.
The Governor and inhabitants of the island
rushed down to the shore and threatened 10
shoot them If they landed. Mr.. Ritch appealed
10 them implorng them II they were Christians,
not to behave inhumanly. He said that his men
were too weak to pull back to he ship. and that
If they succeeded in getting there they would
probably be drowned. He asked for assistance
to take the Traveller out Of her dangerous posi-
tion. and begged for medicine.
His appeals were roughly ignored, and he was
obliged TO put about and go back to the vessel,
which the company finally reached almost dead
with exhaustion and despair. The last man
had scarcely quit the rowboat when 1t was
swept away and lost No assistance came. and
that night the Traveller was carried upon the
reefs and wrecked
The next morning the people on the island sent
a pilot and brought off Mrs Christie. her sur
Viving child and others. and then, with the as
sistance Of blacks from the island, the survivors
were taken to a desolate island in the vicinity,
where they were kept for twenty-five days. liv-
ing in huts made of leaves and with nothing but
leaves to lie on.
So fearful were the Rodrgues people Of con-
tact that the food for the survivors was trans
ferred from boat to boat before IL was finally
left upon the beach OF the sand island. Blacks
were sent to cook It; but no physician came for
a fortnight and even when he did come, accord
ing to Mrs. Christie. he did not land, but exam
ined the sick through a glass from his boat.
Meanwhile two had died, and the second mate
the only strong enough TO dig their
graves on the twentysecond day. realizing
that the monsoon would soon submerge the sand
island the Rodrigues people moved the unfOrtu-
mates to Rodrigues. where they remained two
months and were well treated. From that point
they were carried to Mauritius and then pro-
ceeded homeward.
Mrs Christie says that the behavior of the
islanders is all the more inexplicable in view
Of the fact tha. they allowed a large part Of the
cargo of the Traveller to be salvaSed.