Page:The Western Mail - Christmas 1897 - Page 7.jpg

Christmas, 1897

THE WESTERN MAIL

7

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with a south wind, bearing east; having a strong roll from the south-south-west, they next went east by south. On the 22nd at noon, they found themselves in southern latitude 29 deg. 19 min; the wind was south, their course northeast; then the steersmen guessed that they were about 15 leagues from the wreck of the ship. On the 23rd, having reached a latitude of 28 deg. 14 min, with the wind south-west, their course east, they guessed that they must be alongside the coast, and, therefore, during the night they drifted for two watches with the sail partly brailed.

Having proceeded till the morning of the 25th, they found themselves at noon at a southern latitude of 27 deg. 56 min. They found that, as usual, during those 24 hours the current had taken them northward; they saw a good many breakers, and imagined they also saw some islands and surf, but this appeared to be caused by the reflection of the sun; they had then the wind south and more or less by east During the first watch of the night it ran south-south-east, wherefore they took their course westerly; it then became calm, but the sea ran terribly high from the south-south-west On the 26th, at noon, their latitude was 28 deg. 5 min., the wind was south by west, the sea high and hollow; in the afternoon the wind changed to south-south-east, they then took their course westward; when they had run like this about nine or ten hour glasses, the high seas compelled them once more to steer east. On the 27th it was calm during the greater part of the day, so that they steered boldly westward; at noon their latitude was 28 deg. 13 min; then the seas began to roll from the south; towards evening a cool breeze rose from the south-west, wherefore they sailed south-east, but during the night they were again repeatedly becalmed.

They See
Seaweed

On the 28th, having reached latitude 28 deg. 35 min, they sailed east with a south-south-west wind; then they saw the first seaweeds floating, from which they guessed that they would soon see the land; for two watches of the night they progressed rapidly south, but during the day-watch they drifted with the sail partly brailed, for in the morning the wind changed again to south-east by east.

On the 29th their latitude was 28 deg. 10 min., the wind was south-east by south; the weather was rough; the mainsails were lowered half-mast, so that again they lost latitude; in the evening they bore seaward, sailing all night south-west by west. On the 30th at noon, their latitude was 29 deg. 55 min.; the wind was south-east by south, the seas rolled high from the south-south-west. On the 31st, before noon, it was very calm, they took their bearings, and found that they were in latitude 29 deg. 49 min. After noon the wind rose from the west; they took their course north-east by east, not knowing how far they still were from the land. In the morning the wind ran round to the south-east and the east-north-east.

On the 1st September, with variable winds, they reached a latitude of 29 deg. 16 min., they found it impossible to get round to the east On the morning of the 2nd the wind ran north with a top-sail breeze; at noon their latitude was 30 deg. 16 min.; they then found that they were driven rapidly south; in the evening the wind veered to the north-west, wherefore they sailed north-east by north. On the morning of the 3rd, the wind was west. They saw much seaweed floating, and therefore took their course east.

They Arrive
not without
Danger,
at the
Southern
Continent

At noon they sighted the southern continent stretching north-north-west and south-south-east, when they were still about 3 miles away from it, they saw it stretching, they guessed, for about four miles south, and then ending; it was a flat and barren country, with dunes here and there, as in the north. At 25 fathoms they had a splendid sandy bottom. They were then in latitude 29 deg. 16 min. They took their course north-west, with a west-south-west wind; but the rollers pressed them so close to the coast, that in the evening they had to keep a mile from the shore, since about the second hourglass, or the first watch, the anchor broke into two pieces, so that they had to drop another in haste, not without some danger. On the morning of the 14th, the wind was south-west by south with a high roll; during the day the wind changed to south-south-west; they then weighed the anchor and were under sail before noon, bearing west-north-west seaward, to get off the lower shore. At noon they were in southern latitude 28 deg. 50 min.; here the land began slightly to run off north by west and south by east; in the afternoon the wind became south, wherefore they sailed north, about evening they noticed some dry land, straight ahead or west of them. When they were about a musket-shot away from it, they found at 25 fathoms the bottom like that of a fine beach, wherefore they turned, keeping away from it at about half a mile’s distance east-south-east. At about

five miles’ distance from the continent they cast the anchor in a depth of 27 fathoms on a clear bottom, the night was calm, the weather splendid, with a south by east wind.

They see
Breakers

On the 15th the wind was south-south-east, the weather lovely. At daybreak they weighed the anchor, and having sailed south-south-west for an hour they perceived ahead in their course some shallows and islets on which the breakers ran. The wind gradually veered round, and became east, so that they could sail more south, and even south-south-east. This reef or dry land stretched south-south-west and north-north-east; alongside they found at

27, 28 or 29 fathoms a sandy bottom. At 11, before noon, they lost sight of the main land, being then in southern latitude 28 deg. 59 min., close to a point of the reef jutting out west-south-west of them. The bottom was dirty and sloping, at a depth of 50 or 60 fathoms of water. In the afternoon a calm set in, so that the current took them right west, and a good deal west they left the breakers behind. They guessed that then they were about eight miles from the main land. This calm lasted all night, and they drifted so close along the breakers that they could hear their roar the whole night. On the morning of the 6th the breakers were out of sight. About 11 the wind came from the west-north-west. They were again approaching the breakers being at noon in latitude 28 deg. 44 min. Then it began to blow very hard from the north-west, so that during that afternoon

they went somewhat south again, in order to approach the land exactly at 28 deg. 20 min. The wind was south-west, and the sea high. In the afternoon, two hours before sunset, they sighted the breakers again, from which they guessed they were still two miles away. Then, dropping the lead-line, they found splendid sandy bottom at 100 fathoms; but, having come half a mile nearer and sounded again, they touched a dirty stony bottom at 30 fathoms. Therefore, during the night, in the second watch, they turned seawards; and continued so till the day watch, when they turned again landward, in order to approach the shore.

They
Arrive
at the
Abrolhos

On the 13th, three hours after sunrise, they once more discovered the breakers, and having taken their bearings, they found that they had lost a mile to the north, as the wind had been south-south-east; as they had arrived at the most northerly point of the Abroihos, and always seemed to get too high or too low, whereas it was dangerous to approach them from the outside, they resolved to bear through the rollers and the dirty depths, below the outer dry land; and then tacked again a little, with the wind south-south-east, their course east, coming a little closer in, they immediately had a clear bottom at 30 to 35 fathoms of water; at noon they were in latitude 28 deg.; shortly after they saw again the southern mainland. A stiff breeze began to blow, consequently they anchored at about two miles from the shore, at 30 fathoms of clear sandy bottom. On the 14th it blew hard from the south-

dore, and welcoming him, but begging of him to return immediately to the ship, as there were a party of miscreants on the islands about the wreck, who intended to come in two boats and seize the yacht on its arrival.

Where
They
Find
Things
in a
Terrible
Condition

He related how he had become a captain of forty-seven people, who, to save their lives, had kept all that time on a little island, since some of the people, who were left behind, had turned scoundrels and murdered some one hundred and twenty-five people, being men, women and children.

About fourteen days ago the super-cargo, Jerome Cornelisz, the chief of these scoundrels, had been captured by him. Four of his principal counsellors and accomplices, viz. — The assistant, David van Seevanck, Coenraldt van Huyssen, Gysbert van Welderen, and Cornelis Pietersz, of Utrecht, soldier, had been killed. These had repeatedly come across to fight him and his men, but every time they had been bravely kept off; then they had used traitorous and sinister means to conquer and murder them, offering them peace through the intermediation of their minister, Gysbert Sebastiaensz, whom they forced to go backwards and forwards. When they came to conclude the peace with solemn oaths, promising to forget and forgive all that had passed, David van Seevanck and Coenraldt van Huyssen tried to bribe some soldiers to treason, offering them each six thousand guilders, if, when they returned

Confession
of Jan
Hendricksz
of
Bremen

Their examinations commenced at once. The first one to be examined was Jan Hendricksz, of Bremen, soldier, who immediately let out and confessed to have killed and helped to kill 17 or 20 people, but everything at the express orders of Jerome Cornelisz, their captain, who had forced them to it. Having further been questioned as to the causes and circumstances of all this, and as to what had led them to such inhuman cruelty, he stated his willingness to reveal everything, also how all had happened in the beginning, viz., that the Skipper, Adriaen Jacobsz, Jerome Cornelisz, and the first boatswain had made a compact with the others to seize the vessel Batavia, before it was wrecked, to kill the Commodore and all the crew and passengers, except about 120 who were in the plot, and to throw the dead overboard into the sea; then to go pirating and free-booting with the vessel. Wherefore Jerome Cornelisz and his men on the island had made sure that the Skipper would have killed the Commodore on the way, or have thrown him overboard into the sea, and having been on the island for a month, he thought he could do nothing better than kill all the people but forty, with whom he would seize the yacht on its arrival. He felt, however, that this could not be done unless Webbye Hays and his men, who had been sent to the long island for water twenty days before, were put out of the way. They had started upon this fiendish expedition, and made some attacks already, but had not succeeded.

Jerome
Cornelisz
is
Given up

Towards evening Webbye Hays brought Jerome Cornelisz to the Commodore on board ship as a prisoner. The Commodore looked at him with deep sorrow, not being able to conceive what had induced him to forget himself so far that he had become the cause of such inhuman murders. Being examined in the presence of the Council, the Commodore asked him why he had allowed the devil to lead him so far astray from all human feeling, and had done that which had never been so cruelly perpetrated among Christians, without any real need of hunger or thirst, solely out of cold

Had been
Examined

bloodthirstiness, and to attain his wicked ends. To which he replied, that, they should not blame him for what had happened, putting it all on David van Seevanck, Coenraldt van Huyssen and others, who had been killed in the last encounter with Webbye Hays’ men. He said they had forced him to it, threatening otherwise to take his life. One had often to do a great deal to save oneself. He denied ever having had the intention to help to seize the vessel Batavia, and to the project of seizing any yacht that should come to their rescue, he said Seevanck had proposed this, and he had only consented, but without meaning seriously, since he supposed that they would never be delivered from these unfortunate islands. For he had heard one, Ryck Wontersz, say that Skipper Adriaen had intended to seize the vessel, if it had not been wrecked, and to throw the Commodore overboard, which made him think they could never have reached Batavia, but that the Skipper must have gone to Malacca; or should it have happened that the Commodore had reached Batavia, and that a yacht were sent to their rescue, he would have tried to give warning. In this manner, he tried to excuse himself with his glib tongue, telling the most palpable lies, and making Out that he had been altogether innocent and ignorant of everything, often appealing to the mates, as if they could have known his inner thoughts, saying that they would give a similar testimony. At this the matter was left that day, and he was again incarcerated.

The
Remain-
ing
Scound-
rels
Taken

On the 18th September before daylight, the Commodore and the Skipper went with the two boats to the long island, where Webbye Hays was with his men. He took the soldiers from thence, arming each with a good musket. With those he proceeded to the island named “Batavia’s Churchyard”, which was close to the wreck his intention was to catch the remaining scoundrels who were still there, and make them prisoners. When they saw the Commodore approaching with his two well-manned boats, their hearts immediately failed them, and their courage sank before they had made any resistance. They said to each other, “Now we are all dead men”, thinking that they were going to be killed in hot haste. But in this they were mistaken. When the Commodore had landed, he caused all the rebels to be bound hand and foot, and to be secured as prisoners; then his first work was to seek the jewels that lay scattered here and there. Those were all found except a gold chain and ring, though the ring came to light after all.

they tacked. Finding that the current took them a good deal north-west, in the evening they turned again seaward from the breakers, having a dirty rocky bottom at 40 fathoms. This dry land extended south-east and north-west. In the evening such a stiff breeze arose that the whole night through they had to sail with a half-mast sail, and to take the wind variously. On the morning of the 7th the weather calmed down, so that they could once more hoist the sails. At noon they were in latitude 29 deg. 30 min. They then turned north to get sight of the mainland. Then, as the wind blew sharper, from the west-northwest, they were obliged to turn seaward. On the 8th at noon, being in latitude 29 deg. 7 min., they took their course north-east, so that in the evening they again sighted the breakers; they therefore bore west-southwest seaward all night; with a north-west wind. Then it began to blow so

hard, that they had to take down the top sails. On the morning of the 9th, they once more turned to the land, being at noon in latitude 29 deg., and spending the rest of the day in turning to and fro; in the evening a severe storm blew from the north-west, and they found it difficult enough to keep going with the reefed sails. On the 10th the wind was west, with a topsail breeze, having hoisted the sails again they reached at noon the southern latitude of 29 deg. 30 min.

On the morning of the 11th it was calm, but the sea was high, the wind blew from the west-south-west, so that they could not gain any distance north without approaching the breakers, at noon they reached the latitude of 28 deg. 48 min., with variable winds. All that night they sailed with a reefed sail. On the morning of the 12th they set sail again in an easterly direction, till at noon they found themselves at 28 deg. 13 min. Therefore,

south-east, so that they could not weigh the anchor, and had to lie still all day. On the 15th, the wind continued with equal force till noon, then it became calmer, so that they could lift the anchor on board and wind it up; having set sail, they reached at noon the latitude of 27 deg. 14 min. The wind was south-south-east, and they tacked all day in order to advance south; in the evening they found that they had made two miles. It was dark, and they anchored again in a clear sandy bottom at 30 fathoms depth. On the morning of the 16th, at daybreak, they weighed the anchor again, and took their course more or less south, with a west-south-west wind. In the afternoon the wind changed to west, then to north, so that they could sail west. Towards evening they saw the wreck of their ship Batavia, and the Commodore was seen from the high island, though the mates said it was not one of the islands. At two o’clock in the night they anchored in a clear, sandy bottom at 27 fathoms depth.

They
Reach
the
Wreck

On the morning of the 17th they again weighed the anchor. The wind was north. They were still about two miles from the high island; they approached it in south-westerly direction. Before noon, having come about the island, they saw close to the wreck, on a long islet, some smoke, at which they were much rejoiced, hoping to find all or most of their people alive. Having cast the anchor, the Commodore, taking with him a cask of water, and bread and wine, went with the boat to the highest island, which was nearest by; but on arriving there he found no one, at which they were all very much astonished. Jumping ashore, they saw a little boat with four men rowing round the northern point. The one whose name was Webbye Hays jumped ashore, meeting the Commo-

next day after the conclusion of the peace, these men would side with them and help to kill the others. But Webbye’s men had understood this, and, perceiving that it was aimed at their life, they killed these fellows, and captured their captain, as related above. He further described how that same morning, one rebel, named Worter Loos, who had been proclaimed chief after the capture of the former Captain, Jerome, had attacked them with two boats full of men, whom they had bravely resisted, and kept off, four of Webbye Hays’ men having been severely wounded in the fray. When the Commodore had learnt all these sad tidings with deep regret, he immediately rowed aboard again, ordering Webbye Hays to row back to his people and to bring the prisoner, Jerome Cornelisz, to the ship, which was done as ordered. But before the Commodore could get to his ship he saw a rowing boat with people approaching round the southern point of the high land, wherefore he prepared for defence, with the intention, if possible, to overpower and capture the scoundrels. Meanwhile he continued his course to the ship.

They see a
Boat with
People

On reaching her, he found that the rebels were boldly coming on in the same direction. When they were close enough he could distinguish their red cloth dresses, trimmed all over with gold lace. The Commodore asked them why they came on board armed. They answered that they would tell him when they were on board. After this insolent reply he ordered them to throw their weapons into the sea, and to come across or he would know how to force them to obedience.

Whom They
Made
Prisoners

Seeing that they had no escape, they obeyed, and coming on board, they were at once put in irons.