Surviving 15 Years on Tromelin

In 1761, a French ship named L'Utile, captained by Jean de La Fargue, was on its way from Madagascar to Rodrigues Island, carrying a group of 160 Malagasy individuals to be sold as slaves. However, the ship hit a reef surrounding Tromelin Island, leading to its destruction.

Despite some crew members and Malagasy managing to reach the safety of the island, around 60 to 80 Malagasy and 18 crew members perished in the wreck. The survivors faced a harsh reality on Tromelin Island (just a mile long and just 7 meters at its highest point), which was an uninhabitable, barren island with no trees and just sand. The crew, under Captain Jean's leadership, initially placed more importance on recovering supplies from the wreck than on providing everyone with access to fresh water. Tragically, eight Malagasy died from dehydration before a well was finally dug.

The social divide between the crew and the Malagasy persisted, with the former dominating resources and establishing a separate camp. Eventually, the crew, under the leadership of First Lieutenant Barthélémy Castellan du Vernet, built a new ship named "The Providence" from the wreckage, leaving the Malagasy behind with a promise of a return rescue.

Over time, the Malagasy faced extreme challenges, including adapting to a diet of seabirds and turtles, constructing shelters from coral rocks, and dealing with the loss of fellow survivors. Several attempts at rescue, including a failed one by The Providence, left the Malagasy in despair. As the years passed, the population dwindled, and only 15 of the original 60 Malagasy survived three years on the island.

The story took a turn when, in 1776, the French warship Dauphin, commanded by Captain Jacques Marie Boudin de Tromelin, finally rescued the survivors. Shockingly, only seven women and an 8-month-old baby remained out of the original group. The survivors, having spent 15 years on Tromelin Island, were brought back to the Isle of France, where they refused to return to Madagascar. The Isle of Sand was renamed Tromelin Island in honor of Captain Jacques, and archaeological expeditions in recent years have shed light on the remarkable survival of the Malagasy people on this desolate island.