AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7071, 12 April 1901, Page 4

AN EVENTFUL VOYAGE.

,■ INVEROLYDE'S PASSAGE FROM MAURITIUS. / AN OUTBREAK OF MALARIAL y FEVER. ■■-. •-.;,■ A REMARKABLE ACCIDENT. , The voyage of the barque Inverclyde from Mauritius to Lyttelton, was made memorable by sickness, accident and deatih. It l»gan on Feb. 22, when the vessel left ' Port Louis, with two of her crew sick with . Mauritius or malarial fever. The disease, unfortunately, did not confine itself to them. "" As the vessel entered temperate latitudes it spread rapidly, till half a dozen of the men were laid' down at> one time.. Their commander Captain Milne, doctored them aseidtfously, and supplied them liberally with medical comforts, brandy, wine, stout, meat extract and other things. They recovered, 3>ut as they became better others of the crew were stricken down, till at length twelve of the men had taken the disease. The worst feature was that when, apparently . recovering, they had relapses, some men , two and three. In only one case, however, d*d death ensue. The victim was an A.8., named Samuel Cowlings, a fine young fellow of twenty-four, who died at 1 a.m. on Friday last, April 5. He Qiad been taken ill about a month, before, and had, apparently, almost recovered whem a relapse came, and despite the utmost care and attention, he succumbed. His body was buried at sea. •When; he died the disease seemed to hare spent its course, for no fresh, cases occur- -, ted. Rather more than a week before Cowling's death, on Thursday, March. 28, an accident of a remarkable kind happened on board. An apprentice, Francis Morrison, while on the main Toyal yard assisisting to > loose the sail, fell to the deck, a distance of ':, ■ '170 ft. In his descent he broke sixteen rat- .. lines of the main rigging, his body cutting .•'■'' through them in succession as !he fell. They doubtless broke the force of his fall, and ,;L «aved ihis life. He alighted on a> coil and lay insensible, his head covered with blood. He remained unconscious for three days, trat, wonderful to relate, no bones : were broken, and he sustained no internal* injuries. He received) sev- .'., «ral severe 1)1111865 on his neck and body, -. and some terrible cuts ob his head. The i captain skilfully sewed up the wounds, \ which healed rapidly, and the young gentleman is now going about seemingly none the worse for a fall which, should have , knocked him lifeless.