A FRENCH DRAMA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 21 February 1931, Page 7

A FRENCH DRAMA

SUFFERING AND DEATH EXPERIENCES ON LONELY ISLAND (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, 19th February. The “Daily Mail’s” Paris correspondent reports a drama of suffering and death revealed by the return to Franco of three survivors of a party of men and a woman who were left on the lonely volcanic island of St. Paul, south of the Capetown-Fremantle trade route. A French company in 1928 organised a lobster tinning industry on the island and took out men from Brittany. After earthquake and fire these decided to abandon Che enterprise and the Bretons were repatriated excepting Madame Brunon, her husband and five men who volunteered to remain to guard the machinery. The party'suffered terrible hardships owing to tne relief ship being held up by storms. A baby born to Madame Brunon lived only a few days. Disease broke out and some of the men went mad. A negro named Francois dragged himself from the hut to an isolated rock to die. Ilis flesh was eaten by birds. Brunon died in his wife’s arms and another man was found dead. Pierre Quit livic, dressed himself in Bretons costume, put to sea in a canoe, and has not been seen again.