It has appeared very strange to some very able
judges of voyages, that the Dutch should make so great account of the southern
countries as to cause the map of them to be laid down in the pavement of the
Stadt House at Amsterdam, and yet publish no descriptions of them. This mystery
was a good deal heightened by one of the ships that first touched on Carpenter’s
Land, bringing home a considerable quantity of gold, spices, and other rich
goods; in order to clear up which, it was said that these were not the product
of the country, but were fished out of the wreck of a large ship that had been
lost upon the coast. But this story did not satisfy the inquisitive, because not
attended with circumstances necessary to establish its credit; and therefore
they suggested that, instead of taking away the obscurity by relating the truth,
this story was invented in order to hide it more effectually. This suspicion
gained ground the more when it was known that the Dutch East India Company from
Batavia had made some attempts to conquer a part of the Southern continent, and
had been repulsed with loss, of which, however, we have no distinct or perfect
relation, and all that hath hitherto been collected in reference to this
subject, may be reduced to two voyages. All that we know concerning the
following piece is, that it was collected from the Dutch journal of the voyage,
and having said thus much by way of introduction, we now proceed to the
translation of this short history.
The directors of the East India Company, animated by the return of five ships,
under General Carpenter, richly laden, caused, the very same year, 1628, eleven
vessels to be equipped for the same voyage; amongst which there was one ship
called the Batavia, commanded by Captain Francis Pelsart. They sailed out of the
Texel on the 28th of October, 1628; and as it would be tedious and troublesome
to the reader to set down a long account of things perfectly well known, I shall
say nothing of the occurrences that happened in their passage to the Cape of
Good Hope; but content myself with observing that on the 4th of June, in the
following year 1629, this vessel, the Batavia, being separated from the fleet in
a storm, was driven on the Abrollos or shoals, which lie in the latitude of 28
degrees south, and which have been since called by the Dutch, the Abrollos of
Frederic Houtman. Captain Pelsart, who was sick in bed when this accident
happened, perceiving that his ship had struck, ran immediately upon deck. It was
night indeed; but the weather was fair, and the moon shone very bright; the
sails were up; the course they steered was north-east by north, and the sea
appeared as far as they could behold it covered with a white froth. The captain
called up the master and charged him with the loss of the ship, who excused
himself by saying he had taken all the care he could; and that having discerned
this froth at a distance, he asked the steersman what he thought of it, who told
him that the sea appeared white by its reflecting the rays of the moon. The
captain then asked him what was to be done, and in what part of the world he
thought they were. The master replied, that God only knew that; and that the
ship was fast on a bank hitherto undiscovered. Upon this they began to throw the
lead, and found that they had forty-eight feet of water before, and much less
behind the vessel. The crew immediately agreed to throw their cannon overboard,
in hopes that when the ship was lightened she might be brought to float again.
They let fall an anchor however; and while they were thus employed, a most
dreadful storm arose of wind and rain; which soon convinced them of the danger
they were in; for being surrounded with rocks and shoals, the ship was
continually striking.
They then resolved to cut away the mainmast, which they did, and this augmented
the shock, neither could they get clear of it, though they cut it close by the
board, because it was much entangled within the rigging; they could see no land
except an island which was about the distance of three leagues, and two smaller
islands, or rather rocks, which lay nearer. They immediately sent the master to
examine them, who returned about nine in the morning, and reported that the sea
at high water did not cover them, but that the coast was so rocky and full of
shoals that it would be very difficult to land upon them; they resolved,
however, to run the risk, and to send most of their company on shore to pacify
the women, children, sick people, and such as were out of their wits with fear,
whose cries and noise served only to disturb them. About ten o’clock they
embarked these in their shallop and skiff, and, perceiving their vessel began to
break, they doubled their diligence; they likewise endeavored to get their bread
up, but they did not take the same care of the water, not reflecting in their
fright that they might be much distressed for want of it on shore; and what
hindered them most of all was the brutal behavior of some of the crew that made
themselves drunk with wine, of which no care was taken. In short, such was their
confusion that they made but three trips that day, carrying over to the island
180 persons, twenty barrels of bread, and some small casks of water. The master
returned on board towards evening, and told the captain that it was to no
purpose to send more provisions on shore, since the people only wasted those
they had already. Upon this the captain went in the shallop, to put things in
better order, and was then informed that there was no water to be found upon the
island; he endeavored to return to the ship in order to bring off a supply,
together with the most valuable part of their cargo, but a storm suddenly
arising, he was forced to return.
The next day was spent in removing their water and most valuable goods on shore;
and afterwards the captain in the skiff, and the master in the shallop,
endeavored to return to the vessel, but found the sea run so high that it was
impossible to get on board. In this extremity the carpenter threw himself out of
the ship, and swam to them, in order to inform them to what hardships those left
in the vessel were reduced, and they sent him back with orders for them to make
rafts, by tying the planks together, and endeavor on these to reach the shallop
and skiff; but before this could be done, the weather became so rough that the
captain was obliged to return, leaving, with the utmost grief, his lieutenant
and seventy men on the very point of perishing on board the vessel. Those who
were got on the little island were not in a much better condition, for, upon
taking an account of their water, they found they had not above 40 gallons for
40 people, and on the larger island, where there were 120, their stock was still
less. Those on the little island began to murmur, and to complain of their
officers, because they did not go in search of water, in the islands that were
within sight of them, and they represented the necessity of this to Captain
Pelsart, who agreed to their request, but insisted before he went to communicate
his design to the rest of the people; they consented to this, but not till the
captain had declared that, without the consent of the company on the large is
land, he would, rather than leave them, go and perish on board the ship. When
they were got pretty near the shore, he who commanded the boat told the captain
that if he had anything to say, he must cry out to the people, for that they
would not suffer him to go out of the boat. The captain immediately attempted to
throw himself overboard in order to swim to the island. Those who were in the
boat prevented him; and all that he could obtain from them was, to throw on
shore his table-book, in which line wrote a line or two to inform them that he
was gone in the skiff to look for water in the adjacent islands.
He accordingly coasted them all with the greatest care, and found in most of
them considerable quantities of water in the holes of the rocks, but so mixed
with the sea-water that it was unfit for use; and therefore they were obliged to
go farther. The first thing they did was to make a deck to their boat, because
they found it was impracticable to navigate those seas in an open vessel. Some
of the crew joined them by the time the work was finished; and the captain
having obtained a paper, signed by all his men, importing that it was their
desire that he should go in search of water, he immediately put to sea, having
first taken an observation by which he found they were in the latitude of 28
degrees 13 minutes south. They had not been long at sea before they had sight of
the continent, which appeared to them to lie about sixteen miles north by west
from the place they had suffered shipwreck. They found about twenty-five or
thirty fathoms water; and as night drew on, they kept out to sea; and after
midnight stood in for the land, that they might be near the coast in the
morning. On the 9th of June they found themselves as they reckoned, about three
miles from the shore; on which they plied all that day, sailing sometimes north,
sometimes west; the country appearing low, naked, and the coast excessively
rocky; so that they thought it resembled the country near Dover. At last they
saw a little creek, into which they were willing to put, because it appeared to
have a sandy bottom; but when they attempted to enter it, the sea ran so high
that they were forced to desist.
On the 10th they remained on the same coast, plying to and again, as they had
done the day before; but the weather growing worse and worse, they were obliged
to abandon their shallop, and even throw part of their breath overboard, because
it hindered them from clearing themselves of the water, which their vessel began
to make very fast. That night it rained most terribly, which, though it gave
them much trouble, afforded them hopes that it would prove a great relief to the
people they had left behind them on the islands. The wind began to sink on the
11th; and as it blew from the west-south-west, they continued their course to
the north, the sea running still so high that it was impossible to approach the
shore. On the 12th, they had an observation, by which they found themselves in
the latitude of 27 degrees; they sailed with a south-east wind all that day
along the coast, which they found so steep that there was no getting on shore,
inasmuch as there was no creek or low land without the rocks, as is commonly
observed on seacoasts; which gave them the more pain because within land the
country appeared very fruitful and pleasant. They found themselves on the 13th
in the latitude of 25 degrees 40 minutes; by which they discovered that the
current set to the north. They were at this time over against an opening; the
coast lying to the north-east, they continued a north course, but found the
coast one continued rock of red color all of a height, against which the waves
broke with such force that it was impossible for them to land.
The wind blew very fresh in the morning on the 14th, but towards noon it fell
calm; they were then in the height of 24 degrees, with a small gale at east, but
the tide still carried them further north than they desired, because their
design was to make a descent as soon as possible; and with this view they sailed
slowly along the coast, till, perceiving a great deal of smoke at a distance,
they rowed towards it as fast as they were able, in hopes of finding men, and
water, of course. When they came near the shore, they found it so steep, so full
of rocks, and the sea beating over them with such fury, that it was impossible
to land. Six of the men, however, trusting to their skill in swimming, threw
themselves into the sea and resolved to get on shore at any rate, which with
great difficulty and danger they at last effected, the boat remaining at anchor
in twenty-five fathoms water. The men on shore spent the whole day in looking
for water; and while they were thus employed, they saw four men, who came up
very near; but one of the Dutch sailors advancing towards them, they immediately
ran away as fast as they were able, so that they were distinctly seen by those
in the boat. These people were black savages, quite naked, not having so much as
any covering about their middle. The sailors, finding no hopes of water on all
the coast, swam on board again, much hurt and wounded by their being beat by the
waves upon the rocks; and as soon as they were on board, they weighed anchor,
and continued their course along the shore, in hopes of finding some better
landing-place.
On the 25th, in the morning, they discovered a cape, from the point of which
there ran a ridge of rocks a mile into the sea, and behind it another ridge of
rocks. They ventured between them, as the sea was pretty calm; but finding there
was no passage, they soon returned. About noon they saw another opening, and the
sea being still very smooth, they entered it, though the passage was very
dangerous, inasmuch as they had but two feet water, and the bottom full of
stones, the coast appearing a flat sand for about a mile. As soon as they got on
shore they fell to digging in the sand, but the water that came into their wells
was so brackish that they could not drink it, though they were on the very point
of choking for thirst. At last, in the hollows of the rocks, they met with
considerable quantities of rainwater, which was a great relief to them, since
they had been for some days at no better allowance than a pint a-piece. They
soon furnished themselves in the night with about eighty gallons, perceiving, in
the place where they landed, that the savages had been there lately, by a large
heap of ashes and the remains of some cray-fish.
On the 16th, in the morning, they returned on shore, in hopes of getting more
water, but were disappointed; and having now time to observe the country, it
gave them no great hopes of better success, even if they had traveled farther
within land, which appeared a thirsty, barren plain, covered with ant-hills, so
high that they looked afar off like the huts of negroes; and at the same time
they were plagued with flies, and those in such multitudes that they were scarce
able to defend themselves. They saw at a distance eight savages, with each a
staff in his hand, who advanced towards them within musket-shot; but as soon as
they perceived the Dutch sailors moving towards them, they fled as fast as they
were able. It was by this time about noon, and, perceiving no appearance either
of getting water, or entering into any correspondence with the natives, they
resolved to go on board and continue their course towards the north, in hopes,
as they were already in the latitude of 22 degrees 17 minutes, they might be
able to find the river of Jacob Remmescens; but the wind veering about to the
north-east, they were not able to continue longer upon that coast, and therefore
reflecting that they were now above one hundred miles from the place where they
were shipwrecked, and had scarce as much water as would serve them in their
passage back, they came to a settled resolution of making the best of their way
to Batavia, in order to acquaint the Governor-General with their misfortunes,
and to obtain such assistance as was necessary to get their people off the
coast.
On the 17th they continued their course to the north-east, with a good wind and
fair weather; the 18th and 19th it blew hard, and they had much rain; on the
20th they found themselves in 19 degrees 22 minutes; on the 22nd they had
another observation, and found themselves in the height of 16 degrees 10
minutes, which surprised them very much, and was a plain proof that the current
carried them northwards at a great rate; on the 27th it rained very hard, so
that they were not able to take an observation; but towards noon they saw, to
their great satisfaction, the coasts of Java, in the latitude of 8 degrees, at
the distance of about four or five miles. They altered their course to
west-north-west, and towards evening entered the gulf of an island very full of
trees, where they anchored in eight fathoms water, and there passed the night;
on the 28th, in the morning, they weighed, and rowed with all their force, in
order to make the land, that they might search for water, being now again at the
point of perishing for thirst. Very happily for them, they were no sooner on
shore than they discovered a fine rivulet at a small distance, where, having
comfortably quenched their thirst, and filled all their casks with water, they
about noon continued their course for Batavia.
On the 29th, about midnight, in the second watch, they discovered an island,
which they left on their starboard. About noon they found themselves in the
height of 6 degrees 48 minutes. About three in the afternoon they passed between
two islands, the westernmost of which appeared full of cocoa trees. In the
evening they were about a mile from the south point of Java, and in the second
watch exactly between Java and the Isle of Princes. The 30th, in the morning,
they found themselves on the coast of the last-mentioned island, not being able
to make above two miles that day. On July 1st the weather was calm, and about
noon they were three leagues from Dwaersindenwegh, that is, Thwart-the-way
Island; but towards the evening they had a pretty brisk wind at north-west,
which enabled them to gain that coast. On the 2nd, in the morning, they were
right against the island of Topershoetien, and were obliged to lie at anchor
till eleven o’clock, waiting for the sea-breeze, which, however, blew so faintly
that they were not able to make above two miles that day. About sunset they
perceived a vessel between them and Thwart-the-way Island, upon which they
resolved to anchor as near the shore as they could that night, and there wait
the arrival of the ship. In the morning they went on board her, in hopes of
procuring arms for their defense, in case the inhabitants of Java were at war
with the Dutch. They found two other ships in company, on board one of which was
Mr. Ramburg, counselor of the Indies. Captain Pelsart went immediately on board
his ship, where he acquainted him with the nature of his misfortune, and went
with him afterwards to Batavia.
We will now leave the captain soliciting succors from the Governor-General, in
order to return to the crew who were left upon the islands, among whom there
happened such transactions as, in their condition, the reader would little
expect, and perhaps will hardly credit! In order to their being thoroughly
understood, it is necessary to observe that they had for supercargo one Jerom
Cornelis, who had been formerly an apothecary at Harlem. This man, when they
were on the coast of Africa, had plotted with the pilot and some others to run
away with the vessel, and either to carry her into Dunkirk, or to turn pirates
in her on their own account. This supercargo had remained ten days on board the
wreck, not being able in all that time to get on shore. Two whole days he spent
on the mainmast, floating to and fro, till at last, by the help of one of the
yards, he got to land. When he was once on shore, the command, in the absence of
Captain Pelsart, devolved of course upon him, which immediately revived in his
mind his old design, insomuch that he resolved to lay hold of this opportunity
to make himself master of all that could be saved out of the wreck, conceiving
that it would be easy to surprise the captain on his return, and determining to
go on the account—that is to say, to turn pirate in the captain’s vessel. In
order to carry this design into execution, he thought necessary to rid
themselves of such of the crew as were not like to come into their scheme; but
before he proceeded to dip his hands in blood, he obliged all the conspirators
to sign an instrument, by which they engaged to stand by each other.
The whole ship’s company were on shore in three islands, the greatest part of
them in that where Cornelis was, which island they thought fit to call the
burying-place of Batavia. One Mr. Weybhays was sent with another body into an
adjacent island to look for water, which, after twenty days’ search, he found,
and made the appointed signal by lighting three fires, which, however, were not
seen nor taken notice of by those under the command of Cornelis, because they
were busy in butchering their companions, of whom they had murdered between
thirty and forty; but some few, however, got off upon a raft of planks tied
together, and went to the island where Mr. Weybhays was, in order to acquaint
him with the dreadful accident that had happened. Mr. Weybhays having with him
forty-five men, they all resolved to stand upon their guard, and to defend
themselves to the last man, in case these villains should attack them. This
indeed was their design, for they were apprehensive both of this body, and of
those who were on the third island, giving notice to the captain on his return,
and thereby preventing their intention of running away with his vessel. But as
this third company was by much the weakest, they began with them first, and cut
them all off, except five women and seven children, not in the least doubting
that they should be able to do as much by Weybhays and his company. In the
meantime, having broke open the merchant’s chests, which had been saved out of
the wreck, they converted them to their own use without ceremony.
The traitor, Jerom Cornelis, was so much elevated with the success that had
hitherto attended his villainy, that he immediately began to fancy all
difficulties were over, and gave a loose to his vicious inclinations in every
respect. He ordered clothes to be made of rich stuffs that had been saved, for
himself and his troop, and having chosen out of them a company of guards, he
ordered them to have scarlet coats, with a double lace of gold or silver. There
were two minister’s daughters among the women, one of whom he took for his own
mistress, gave the second to a favorite of his, and ordered that the other three
women should be common to the whole troop. He afterwards drew up a set of
regulations, which were to be the laws of his new principality, taking to
himself the style and title of Captain-General, and obliging his party to sign
an act, or instrument, by which they acknowledged him as such. These points once
settled, he resolved to carry on the war. He first of all embarked on board two
shallops twenty-two men, well armed, with orders to destroy Mr. Weybhays and his
company; and on their miscarrying, he undertook a like expedition with
thirty-seven men, in which, however, he had no better success; for Mr. Weybhays,
with his people, though armed only with staves with nails drove into their
heads, advanced even into the water to meet them, and after a brisk engagement
compelled these murderers to retire.
Cornelis then thought fit to enter into a negotiation, which was managed by the
chaplain, who remained with Mr. Weybhays, and after several comings and goings
from one party to the other, a treaty was concluded upon the following
terms—viz., That Mr. Weybhays and his company should for the future remain
undisturbed, provided they delivered up a little boat, in which one of the
sailors had made his escape from the island in which Cornelis was with his gang,
in order to take shelter on that where Weybhays was with his company. It was
also agreed that the latter should have a part of the stuffs and silks given
them for clothes, of which they stood in great want. But, while this affair was
in agitation, Cornelis took the opportunity of the correspondence between them
being restored, to write letters to some French soldiers that were in Weybhays’s
company, promising them six thousand livers apiece if they would comply with his
demands, not doubting but by this artifice he should be able to accomplish his
end.
His letters, however, had no effect; on the contrary, the soldiers to whom they
were directed carried them immediately to Mr. Weybhays. Cornelis, not knowing
that this piece of treachery was discovered, went over the next morning, with
three or four of his people, to carry to Mr. Weybhays the clothes that had been
promised him. As soon as they landed, Weybhays attacked them, killed two or
three, and made Cornelis himself prisoner. One Wonterloss, who was the only man
that made his escape, went immediately back to the conspirators, put himself at
their head, and came the next day to attack Weybhays, but met with the same fate
as before—that is to say, he and the villains that were with him were soundly
beat.
Things were in this situation when Captain Pelsart arrived in the Sardam
frigate. He sailed up to the wreck, and saw with great joy a cloud of smoke
ascending from one of the islands, by which he knew that all his people were not
dead. He came immediately to an anchor, and having ordered some wine and
provisions to be put into the skiff, resolved to go in person with these
refreshments to one of these islands. He had hardly quitted the ship before he
was boarded by a boat from the island to which he was going. There were four men
in the boat, of whom Weybhays was one, who immediately ran to the captain, told
him what had happened, and begged him to return to his ship immediately, for
that the conspirators intended to surprise her, that they had already murdered
125 persons, and that they had attacked him and his company that very morning
with two shallops.
While they were talking the two shallops appeared; upon which the captain rowed
to his ship as fast as he could, and was hardly got on board before they arrived
at the ship’s side. The captain was surprised to see men in red coats laced with
gold and silver, with arms in their hands. He demanded what they meant by coming
on board armed. They told him he should know when they were on board the ship.
The captain replied that they should come on board, but that they must first
throw their arms into the sea, which if they did not do immediately, he would
sink them as they lay. As they saw that disputes were to no purpose, and that
they were entirely in the captain’s power, they were obliged to obey. They
accordingly threw their arms overboard, and were then taken into the vessel,
where they were instantly put in irons. One of them, whose name was John Bremen,
and who was first examined, owned that he had murdered with his own hands, or
had assisted in murdering, no less than twenty-seven persons. The same evening
Weybhays brought his prisoner Cornelis on board, where he was put in irons and
strictly guarded.
On the 18th of September, Captain Pelsart, with the master, went to take the
rest of the conspirators in Cornelis’s island. They went in two boats. The
villains, as soon as they saw them land, lost all their courage, and fled from
them. They surrendered without a blow, and were put in irons with the rest. The
captain’s first care was to recover the jewels which Cornelis had dispersed
among his accomplices: they were, however, all of them soon found, except a gold
chain and a diamond ring; the latter was also found at last, but the former
could not be recovered. They went next to examine the wreck, which they found
staved into an hundred pieces; the keel lay on a bank of sand on one side, the
fore part of the vessel stuck fast on a rock, and the rest of her lay here and
there as the pieces had been driven by the waves, so that Captain Pelsart had
very little hopes of saving any of the merchandise. One of the people belonging
to Weybhays’s company told him that one fair day, which was the only one they
had in a month, as he was fishing near the wreck, he had struck the pole in his
hand against one of the chests of silver, which revived the captain a little, as
it gave him reason to expect that something might still be saved. They spent all
the 19th in examining the rest of the prisoners, and in confronting them with
those who escaped from the massacre.
On the 20th they sent several kinds of refreshments to Weybhays’s company, and
carried a good quantity of water from the isle. There was something very
singular in finding this water; the people who were on shore there had subsisted
near three weeks on rainwater, and what lodged in the clefts of the rocks,
without thinking that the water of two wells which were on the island could be
of any use, because they saw them constantly rise and fall with the tide, from
whence they fancied they had a communication within the sea, and consequently
that the water must be brackish; but upon trial they found it to be very good,
and so did the ship’s company, who filled their casks with it.
On the 21st the tide was so low, and an east-south-east wind blew so hard, that
during the whole day the boat could not get out. On the 22nd they attempted to
fish upon the wreck, but the weather was so bad that even those who could swim
very well durst not approach it. On the 25th the master and the pilot, the
weather being fair, went off again to the wreck, and those who were left on
shore, observing that they wanted hands to get anything out of her, sent off
some to assist them. The captain went also himself to encourage the men, who
soon weighed one chest of silver, and some time after another. As soon as these
were safe ashore they returned to their work, but the weather grew so bad that
they were quickly obliged to desist, though some of their divers from Guzarat
assured them they had found six more, which might easily be weighed. On the
26th, in the afternoon, the weather being fair, and the tide low, the master
returned to the place where the chests lay, and weighed three of them, leaving
an anchor with a gun tied to it, and a buoy, to mark the place where the fourth
lay, which, notwithstanding their utmost efforts, they were not able to recover.
On the 27th, the south wind blew very cold. On the 28th the same wind blew
stronger than the day before; and as there was no possibility of fishing in the
wreck for the present, Captain Pelsart held a council to consider what they
should do with the prisoners: that is to say, whether it would be best to try
them there upon the spot, or to carry them to Batavia, in order to their being
tried by the Company’s officers. After mature deliberation, reflecting on the
number of prisoners, and the temptation that might arise from the vast quantity
of silver on board the frigate, they at last came to a resolution to try and
execute them there, which was accordingly done; and they embarked immediately
afterwards for Batavia.
Early Australian Voyages, 1886, John Pinkerton |
