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| fess the truth. He said that Jerome had come to him on board, persuading him to take part in the seizure of the vessel, but he had neither answered yes or no. When a little more water had been poured into his mouth, he confessed that the boatswain, Jacob Pietersz Steenhouwer, and he, and several others had swords in their bunks for this purpose. Being further threatened, he confessed that the Skipper had been the chief, that they had numbered ten or twelve, and that the mutiny was to have taken place during the night. The idea had been to nail down the trap door, and in this manner to carry out their design the more easily.
Jerome Cornelisz was then again led into the tent and bound to be tortured, as it seemed difficult to obtain the real truth from his lips. He then was asked whether he had not tried to induce Allert Jansz, of Assendeift, to join them. He confessed that this was true, but the Skipper had ordered him, and tempted him to it. He was further asked why the Skipper had been so embittered against the Commodore. He said he did not know, and that he had wondered why the Commodore liked the Skipper, and put up with so much from him. The Skipper, however, had told him that he had begun to hate the Commodore in Surat, when they were on the voyage home. One evening he had been insubordinate in language, and Capt Grijp, and the second merchant Wolebrant Geleynsz had reproved him, saying that this was not the right way to return homeward in peace; he should not treat the Commodore like this, or should at least dissemble a little for their sake. Jerome, when he had heard this, had asked the Skipper if it was only hatred that prompted him, whether he had not better throw the Commodore overboard secretly; they would then not have caused such loss to their lords and masters, nor killed so many innocent people. But the Skipper had answered that it was not only out of hatred of the Commodore, but also for their common advantage; the mates could not gain much profit in India, and with the vessel he thought he could do quite a deal. When Jerome had furthermore asked him whether he saw no risk in the enterprise, and whether he thought he could carry it out, the Skipper had answered, "Let me have my way. I'll manage it. I am pretty sure of my cousin from the Schie*, but I have little faith in my brother-in-law, the second mate, or in the first mate either". Jerome being still further examined, was asked when they had intended to carry out the plot. His answer was, as soon as the Commodore would have put the men in irons on account of the occurrence with Lucretia. When he was asked whether the Company and the Commodore had deserved this from him, he said, "No. On the contrary, he had been treated with more honour and kindness than he merited; but the Skipper had tempted him to it, speaking to him of the riches they would gain, and saying, ‘I shall go to the devil anyhow. If I reach India I shall get into trouble whether or no'." After a further examination, he was again asked why he had set it about among the people that the Commodore in leaving the vessel had ordered him to try and reduce the number of those who were rescued to forty. He denied having received this order from the Commodore, but David van Seevanck had thought it necessary to make the people believe this. He also confessed that he, David van Seevanck, and Lucas Gillisz, had resolved among themselves to seize the first yacht that would come to their rescue, and sail to Spain or thereabouts, for none of them doubted that the Skipper would have thrown the Commodore overboard, into the sea and gone with the boat to Malacca, where he would obtain a yacht in order to save the people and the money; or if he dared go to Batavia, they did not doubt that the Lord General would give him a yacht wherewith to find the ship and the people, and in that case they would be ready. Being asked why he had ordered Mr. Frans Janz of Hoorn, the chief barber, to be killed a short time ago, he answered because he had stood in the way of David van Seevanck, and had not wished to dance to all their tunes, so that they had not much confidence in him. Being asked who had been the most innocent and least culpable among them, he said, Jacques Pelman, Jeuriaen Jansz, of Bremen, both boatswain's mates; Reynert Hendricksz, of Barckloft, butler; Abraham Jansz, of Amsterdam, and Jans Willemsz Selijus, of Amsterdam, cooper. He also declared that the council had consisted of the following four men: He (Jerome Cornelisz), Coenraldt van Huyssen, David van Seevanck, and Jacob Pietersz Steenhouwer; and whenever it had been resolved among them to kill anyone it was immediately carried out. Further, that in order to take away all mistrust among themselves they had taken the oath of fidelity. Whoever had been comprised in this pact and signed it had been spared. * The river on which Schiedam is situated
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The document may be read in the preceding pages.
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swords to kill the assistant, Andries de Vries, which they did.
Moreover, he confessed that when he had decided to kill the minister's family he had handed some food to Coenraldt van Huyssen, telling him to invite the minister, his daughter, and himself, Jerome, to take a meal with him; that in the afternoon he had sent for Laenert Michielsz, Jacob Pietersz, Jan Hendricksz, Wouter Loos, Andries Jonas and .Andries Liebent, telling them that in the evening he would be dining in Coenraldt van Huyssen's tent, and during that time he wanted them to kill the minister's family; all this had been thus carried out. He also confessed that on the night of the 12th July he had caused the aforesaid Lenaert Michielsz, together with Luycas Jelisz and Jan Hendricksz, to be called out of their tents, ordering them to go and cut the throats of Passihier van den Enden, musketeer, Jacob Heynoricksz, carpenter, and a sick boy. This order they had carried out. On the morning of the 6th August he had been in the tent of David van See- |
ation of their souls, saying that they would die if it were not so. But Jerome denied it calling it a lie. He recalled at the same time all that he had so far confessed, saying that it had been wrung from him by the threat of torture.
On account of his unreliableness and contradictory confessions, trying by all the resources of his subtle mind to give the lie to those who accused and convicted him in his presence, he was again, and now for the last time, threatened with torture and asked why he mocked us in this manner. Had he not, on different previous occasions without torture confessed everything — the origin and circumstances of the plot to seize the vessel Batavia, as well as the horrors that had afterwards occurred. Thereupon he declared again that all he had confessed was the real truth; but that he had constantly retracted his words in order to gain delay, hoping that they would take him to Batavia, as he longed to see his wife once more. He knew well enough, he said, that he had done much wrong, and he craved no mercy for it. Jan Hendricksz and Allert Jansz, of Assendelft, |
one hour before Jerome Cornelisz was to be executed for his great misdeeds, bitterly lamented to the said Jerome over the sins he had committed with her against her will, and, forcing her thereto. To which Jerome replied, "It is true, you are not to blame for it; for you were in my tent for twelve days before I could succeed". He continued further relating how in the end he had complained to David van Seevanck that he could not accomplish his ends either with kindness or anger. Seevanck had answered, "And don't you know how to manage that? I'll soon make her do it". He had then gone into the tent and said to Lucretia, "I hear complaints about you". "On what account?" she asked. "Because you do not comply with the Captain's wishes in kindness; now, however, you will have to make up your mind, either you will go the same way as Wybrecht Claes, or else you must do that for which we have kept the women". Through this threat Lucretia had to consent that day, and thus he had her as his concubine for the time of two months. In sign of the truth we have heard every one of the above words from the lips of Jerome Comelisz and in the presence of several witnesses, we have put our ordinary signature to this. And we shall be at all times prepared, if it should be required,to confirm it with our solemn oath. Actum on the island, "Batavia's Churchyard", near the wreck of the foundered vessel Batavia.
THE ABROLHOS FROM THE SCIENTIST'S STANDPOINT
In his work, "The Naturalist in Australia", already referred to, Mr. W. Saville-Kent devotes a chapter to the Abrolhos. As the facts he gives are of great intrinsic interest, we make the following copious extracts. It is strange to note how indifferent the old navigators and castaways of the Batavia seem, from the "Journal" published above, to have been to the peculiarities of their place of enforced settlement. The horror of the massacre and continual fighting, and the excitement of the trial, probable account for this. "The reef corals of Houtman's Abrolhos, while growing very near to the surface level of the water at low tide, vary rarely appear above it, and then to the extent of a few inches only. It was observed by the author on one such occasion during his residence on Pelsart Island, that the polypes pertaining to the projecting extremities of the branching Madreporas which were then laid bare during the early hours of a winter's morning, were killed by the brief exposure to the chilly atmosphere, leaving, after speedy decomposition, the coralla extremities bleached perfectly white. Within the moderate depths of from just beneath low water mark downwards to as much as ten or fifteen fathoms, the coral upon the Abrolhos reefs and within their contained lagoons attain to a luxuriance of growth that is not surpassed even upon the Great Barrier of Queensland. "The coral on the Queensland reefs lacked the brillian tints of the Abrolhos colony-stocks, being for the most part of a warm brown hue with whitish tips. Some few of the coral among the ???? were however, brilliant green or lilac, while in either localities the same species was met with in which the greater proportion of the coralla was bright grass green, but every branch tip to the extent of about half an inch was an intense violet. "The horizon line, looking oceanwards, was, in its way, almost regally remarkable. The boundary in this direction is representated by the level, raised surface of the rocky platform, which constitutes a massive breakwater between the placid waters of the lagoon and the tumultuous billows, which break unceasingly and with a sustained roar mightier than that of Niagara, upon the precipitious edge of the outer barrier. The rebounding ???? of water thrown up against the horizon line by the breaking waves have their altitude optically greatly enhanced by mirage. This atmospheric phenomenon is here, as throughout the tropical areas, of general ???? As an illustration of its prevalence, the very low points of the archipelago of islands that enter into the composition of the Houtman's Abrolhos commonly appear to be elevated to an abnormal heigh above the horizon. A little further north, on the adjacent Western Australian coast, it is by no means unusual, as the effect of mirages, for the passenger steamers to discover the boats of the pearling fleets, or it may be of other ????inations, some hours before | |||
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| ordered Jan Hendricksz, saying "Go and kill them", which the latter had done.
He had also said, when the minister's people were killed, "The parson won't live long either". Further, when the sick people were killed, he, Jerome Cornelisz, together with Gijsbert van Welderen and Coenraldt van Huyssen, had taken Adries de Vries and led him to the huts of all the sick people, eleven in number, ordering him to cut their throats, which the latter had done. Also, when Cornelisz Pietersz, of Utrecht, had cut the throat of the carpenter's assistant, Hendrick Claesz, this had been in the presence of Jerome. He was further accused in the presence of Allert Jansz of Assendelft, that when he had ordered the latter to cut the throat of Andries de Bruyn, the cabin-boy, he had first sent the lad to catch some birds, and then Assendelft to follow him, in which manner the deed had been done. When the whole account of these examinations and confessions had been read to Jerome Cornelisz he was asked whether it was in accordance with the truth. He then declared freely and with- |
vanck, and called to him Jan Hendricksz, giving him the dagger which he carried about him all day, saying, "Go and cut out the heart of Stoffel Stoffelsz, that lazy lout, who stands there working as if his back was broken". This Jan Hendricksz had done.
He confessed that on the 16th of August he had given his sword to Jan van Bommel, saying, "Go and try whether it is sharp enough; cut off the head of Coen Aldertsz, of Ilpendam (hooplooper) with it". But as Jan van Bommel was not quite strong enough for this, Matthijs Beyer cut off Aldertsz's head in Jerome's presence. Finally he confessed that, though he was a married man, he had nevertheless taken Lucretia Jansz, the wife of Boudewijn van der Mylen, into his tent, keeping her for two months against her will. On the 24th September Jerome Cornelisz, being present at the examination of Rogier Decker, of Haarlem, formerly cabin waiter on the shipwrecked vessel Batavia, confessed that he had called the said Rogier Decker into his tent on the 25th July, giving him a cup of wine, and at the same time handing his |
volunteered the information that one evening Jerome Cornelisz had asked them to dinner, and told them, among other things, that if the ship had not been wrecked they would have seized it a few days after. The chief persons in the plot had been the skipper, Jerome Cornelisz, the boatswain, Coenraldt van Huyssen, and others. They would have nailed down the trap-door of the soldiers' berths. Jerome having been confronted with this statement, confirmed its truth.
On the afternoon of that same day the Commodore read out the whole account of the examination and confession publicly before all the people on the island, in the presence of Jerome Cornelisz, and asked him whether it was in accordance with the truth. He answered that there were certain statements in it by Allert Jansz, of Assendeift; Jan Hendricksz, and others which contained unfounded accusations against him. Then the Commodore once more protested before God to the prisoners there present, that if they were to aggravate Jerome Cornelisz's guilt in the least degree, they would have to answer for it on the day of judgment before the throne of the Almighty. The prisoners thereupon spoke out unanimously, and exclaimed that they had not aggravated his guilt in any way whatsoever. If they had, they were willing to burden their own salvation with it; they would die for it and answer for it on the day of judgment before the throne | |||||
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| out torture that everything had happened, as related.
Lenaert Michielsz, ensign, being examined in the presence of Jerome Cornelisz, confessed freely and without torture, that he had been sent on a craft by Jerome Comelisz, together with David van Seevanck and Matthijs Bayer, to the island of the traitors, in order to go and drown there Andries Liebent, Hendrick Jansz, of Oldenburg (alias Masken), Thomas Weichel, of Copenhagen, a boatswain's mate, and Jan Cornelisz Amesvoort. This had been carried out, except that Lenaert Michielsz had obtained pardon for Andries Liebent. Jerome confessed this to be true. He also confessed that he had sent the aforesaid Lenaert Michielsz, together with Cornelis Pietersz, of Utrecht, to call Hans Jacobsz, Jan Hendricksz, and Mr. Francis, the barber, out of their tents, ordering them to go with David van Seevanck, and Coenraldt van Huyssen in the little boat to Seal's Island in order to kill all the people there, which they did, except 17 persons who were let off. Further, he, Jerome, had called Laenert Michielsz, Jan Hendricksz and Rutgert Fredericksz into his tent, giving them |
dagger to him, with the words, "Go outside and stab Hendrik Jansz, of Purmerant, to the heart". This order the said Rogier had carried out.
On the 28th September, since Lucas Jelisz of the Hague, ensign, according to the above confessions of Jerome Cornelisz, had also been concerned in the murder of Passchier van den Enden, he was likewise questioned on this point. He confessed in the presence of Jerome that by Jerome's order David van Seevanck had commanded him together with Laenert Michielsz and Jan Hendricksz, to kill Passchier van den Enden, musketeer, and Jacob Heyndricksz, carpenter. Coming at the tent, Jan Hendricksz had rushed inside, and cut Passchier's throat, but Jacob Heyndricksz they had only ordered to remain in his tent. Then David van Seevanck had gone to Jerome, saying "Jacob Heyndricksz is a good carpenter; let him live". But Jerome had answered, "He is nothing but a turncoat and quite unreliable. He will only tell on us some day; he must be put out of the way". To prove the truth of this, Lenaert Michielsz and Jan Heyndreicksz (who were called in for the purpose) affirmed the statement on the salva- |
of the Almighty. Wherefore the Commodore addressed Jerome for the last time, asking him why he mocked the council with his unpardonable vacillations, speaking the truth one moment and denying it the next. He then finally replied that he had only done this to lengthen his life; but he had done enough wrong, and could not escape his punishment.
There follows another confession in aggravation of the charges against Jerome Cornelisz aforesaid: We, the undersigned, Webbye Hayes, of Winschoten, sergeant; Claes Jansz Hooft of Ditmarssen, trumpeter; Allert Jansz, corporal; and Jan Kastensen, of Tonninge, musketeer, attest and testify on our manly truthfulness, that we have seen with our eyes and heard with our sober ears, today, the 2nd October, 1629, that Lucretia Jans, the widow of Boudewijn van der Mylen, | |||||
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