Two notable expeditions to Australia by the Dutch were on the ships, 'the Duyfken' and 'the Batavia'.

Following are fictional versions of what might have been recorded in the ships' logs.

 

28th October 1628 Set sail for the East. There are 11 ships in the VOC, under the overall command of Jacques Specx. Our ship, the Batavia, was one of the first three ships to be ready so we have set off ahead of the rest of the fleet. The Commander, Francisco Pelsaert, is aboard our vessel and our crew and passengers make up 300 souls.

4th June 1629 Ran into perilous reefs at Abrolhos in the early hours of the morning. Confound that master - he should have seen them - it was a still, moonlit night! Pelsaert immediately ordered the crew to jettison the cannon and launch the shallops and skiffs. Chopped down the mainmast but could not free the ship. It seems the Batavia is sure to break up so the crew has been split up into two groups and will head for different islands.

6th June 1629 The Batavia is lost. I am with a group of men, women and children. The remaining people have, I hope, reached another island safely. Wiebbe Hayes is a tough Groningen man so he will look after them. I am taking over the log because our Captain, Francisco Pelsaert, and several sailors have set out in a boat to get help. We are now castaways in a strange land.

9th June 1629 Tragedy! I found out today that even while the Batavia was at sea, some of the crew were planning a mutiny! They are being led by that rascal Jeronimus Corneliszoon, who is the supercargo and a representative of the VOC. They had planned to kill all but 120 men and to throw them overboard. They were then going to head for Madagascar and begin a life of piracy! What can we do, there are so many of them?

26th June 1629 We are all in great danger. That villainous Corneliszoon has stirred up his men and told them that there are too many of us and not enough food. Everyone is fearful of their lives. We need help to come quickly.

3rd July 1629 Alas! Many of the people have fallen victim to the knives and pikes of Corneliszoon and his band of thugs. Some have even been thrown into the sea to drown. That rogue Corneliszoon has begun to swagger about in a red coat trimmed with gold braid and insists on being addressed as 'Governor'.

11th July 1629 I cannot bear it any more. Over 100 people, including women and children, have been murdered by Corneliszoon and his men. What can we do? We have named this place 'Batavia's Graveyard'. A small party of our fellows has made a raft from the wreckage of our ship and will try to sail over to warn Wiebbe Hayes, but what will he be able to do? We are all at the mercy of a murderous madman.

27th July 1629 Corneliszoon and 22 of his evil band have now set off for the other island in two shallops. I am sure that they will hunt down and murder Hayes and all the people with him. God rest their souls.

7th August 1629 Wiebbe Hayes and a band of his men have resisted the mutineers! The survivors returned last night but Corneliszoon has vowed revenge and is assembling another party to return with him to Hayes' island. This time he is taking 37 men. I heard one of his men say that Hayes and his fellows had no weapons except staves with nails hammered into them, so what chance will they have? We are doomed.

2nd September 1629 Wiebbe Hayes is truly a hero! He has defeated Corneliszoon again. Corneliszoon is now trying to negotiate a treaty but I am sure that he is plotting something. I hear that he has sent letters to the French soldiers on the island with Hayes asking them to join his band of pirates. He promised Hayes some of the fabrics from our ship, because the people on the other island are in sore need of clothes, and has just set off to deliver them, but there are only five other men in the boat with him. Will his arrogance be his undoing?

3rd September 1629 Glad news! Hayes was warned of Corneliszoon's trickery by the French soldiers and as soon as the boat landed the crew were killed and the scoundrel was arrested! I cannot wait to rub his red coat in the dirt!

10th September 1629 The remaining mutineers have set off for another attack on Hayes and his men. They have found some muskets, so we were powerless to stop them. Poor Hayes! He has been so courageous for so long. Will anyone ever come to our aid?

17th September 1629 Our prayers have been answered and help has finally arrived! Captain Pelsaert arrived on the fast yacht Sardaam today. Hayes and his men were able to warn our rescuers of the mutiny and murders and Captain Pelsaert has already sentenced seven men to hang at Batavia's Graveyard. The others will be taken away to be tried.

November 1629 On our return voyage we have put Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom de Bye ashore on a river on the west coast of New Holland. They have some equipment but no supplies so they will have to fend for themselves. It seems fitting that they should suffer just some of the privations that they inflicted on the poor innocents of the Batavia.

 

Note: In 1648 the story of the Batavia was published in the Netherlands and was widely read by the Dutch. In the 1960s a search was undertaken for the wreck of the Batavia, and it has since been located and brought to the surface.