near to a narrow strip of sand on the edge of the reef, which was
scarcely large enough to be called an island, we found on it some
remains of large timber, evidently a beam of a ship, through it an iron
bolt of considerable dimensions; but corrosion had gone on steadily so
many years, that the slightest touch reduced it to the size of small
wire. Near this were found various other fragments, which most probably
had been parts of the same vessel; but the most remarkable item was a
copper coin of the East India N. Company, a doit bearing date 1620 (I
think), which was good evidence that these were some of the remains of
commodore Pelsart, in the ship _Batavia_. So the anchorage which we
occupied was named by us Batavia Roads, and that particular group
Pelsart’s Group. On another island at the west side of the same group we
found many other relics of more recent date, among which another doit,
which was dated 1700, which we concluded marked the position of the loss
of the _Zeewijk_ in 1720. On this island we found a large number of
small glass bottles, about the size and form of Dutch cheeses, very
orderly arranged in rows on the ground; a few very large glass bottles
of similar form; some large brass buckles, which had been gilded, and
much of the gilt still existed. Numerous small clay pipes, which served
to solace our crew with the help of tobacco, as doubtless they had done
long ago for former owners. And one brass gun, of about three-pounds
calibre, with an iron swivel, the iron, however, was diminished by
corrosion to nearly nothing; it had a movable chamber for loading it,
which was fitted for a square hole, on the upper part of the gun near
the breech. But what was most remarkable about it was that vermilion
paint was still on the muzzle. The island on which this was found we
called Gun Island, and the passage between Pelsart Group and the middle
one was called Zeewyk Channel.”
I have had the good fortune to find among the papers of the late East
India Company, what was written by the government of Batavia about the
loss of the ship _Zeewijk_ to the directors at home, together with a map
made by the skipper Jan Steyns, while on these shoals.
“_To the Directors of the Assembly of the Seventeen, etc._
“On the 26th of April a letter[40] unexpectedly came to hand by the
patchialang _De Veerman_, from the late skipper and under-merchant of
the Zeeland ship _Zeewyk_, Jan Steyns and Jan Nibbens, written from the
Straits of Sunda, but without date, communicating the fact that this
vessel, after leaving the Cape of Good Hope on the 21st of April, had
been wrecked, on the 9th of June, on the reef lying before the islands
Frederick Houtman’s Abrolhos, situated near the Southland, in S. lat.
29°, and otherwise called the Tortelduyff’s Islands. The crew had, in
favourable weather, succeeded in recovering all kinds of necessaries
from the wreck, and had constructed from the fragments of the ship a
vessel, on which, setting out on the 22nd of March, they arrived in the
above straits on the 21st of April, numbering eighty-two souls, and
bringing with them the moneys of the Company contained in ten chests to
the value of Fl. 315,836:1:8. All this will more clearly appear from the
subjoined copy of the letter (together with a list of the survivors,
their names and rank on board before the wreck), to which we
respectfully refer you, as also to an extract from the resolution passed
on that day. From this will also be seen the care shown by us for the
recovery of the money, in our despatching at once to the distressed
vessel (which was suffering from want of fresh water) the advocat-fiscal
of India, Mr. Jacob Graafland, with two commissioners from the Council
of Justice, assisted by the secretary and usher of the court, provided
with the necessary vessels, together with one sergeant, two corporals,
and twelve private soldiers. There was also found a small slip,[41]
without signature, written by the skipper, in which he complains of the
outrageous and thievish behaviour of the crew, so that we could not but
conclude that some of the company’s chests must have been broken open,
and the contents stolen, as it very frequently happens under such
unfortunate circumstances. Wherefore the above-mentioned commissioners
were duly instructed to take means to prevent the concealment of the
company’s moneys. But the precaution proved unnecessary, as they arrived
here happily on the 30th, to the great relief of the company’s heavy
losses of money, with the above-mentioned vessel and the ten money
chests, which were found to be complete according to the invoice. In
addition to this was also received a small bag, containing two hundred
and seven pieces of Spanish reals, handed over by the Directors of the
Chamber, Middelburg, in Zeeland, to the officers of this ship, for the
purchase of fresh provisions, which also was saved. Moreover various
sums in silver ducats, as specified in the memorial, a copy of which is
subjoined, were found upon the crew. On that same day, namely, the 30th
April, the advocat-fiscal was instructed to report to the government as
to whether an action could be brought by it against the pretended
owners, who had fetched that money out of the wreck, the fact of their
having it in their possession being in our opinion a violation of the
law, which forbids the export of coined money to private persons. His
answer is to be found in a copy subjoined. But afterwards he was
obliged, as a matter of official duty, to put the law in force, and an
indictment was accordingly issued against the claimants before the
Council of Justice, whose decision is still pending. We are nevertheless
at the same time of opinion that salvage ought to be allowed to the men
who, at no inconsiderable danger to themselves, brought the money from
the wreck. The journals kept on the voyage, as far as they were saved
and brought over, were, in accordance with the resolution of the 30th of
April, handed over to the Equipagemeester, Coenrad Mels, and a committee
of skippers, under the presidency of the above-mentioned fiscal, as it
appeared to us rather doubtful whether the ship had not been wrecked in
an inexcusable manner. And, indeed, it was subsequently proved by the
report of the committee, that the former skipper, Jan Steyns, had not
only run too near the Southland, contrary to his orders, and in
opposition to the protests of the steersmen, and thereby caused that
disaster; but had also contemplated deceiving the government by altered
and falsified journals, in order to hide as much as possible his
indefensible conduct. Whereupon, on the 17th of August, it was
determined to indict the said Jan Steyns before the Court of Justice,
and he has since been placed under arrest.[42]
“The position of the islands against the most outlying reef of which the
_Zeewyk_ was wrecked, is shown by the accompanying maps. They lie out of
sight of the Southland, and are partly overgrown with some edible wild
plants. On them were found not only some excavated wells, but also some
signs of a Dutch ship, probably wrecked against the above-mentioned
reef, which might have been the _Fortuyn_ or _Aagtekerke_, whose crew
may have died or perished at sea on their way hither. This also seems to
have been the fate of the boat of the _Zeewyk_, which, under command of
the uppersteersman Pieter Langeweg, with eleven common sailors and the
papers of the Company, had set out for this port shortly after the wreck
of the ship, in order to give information of the mishap and to ask for
assistance. Up to this time nothing has been heard of it.
“We cannot without painful feelings think of the heavy misfortunes, from
which the company has been a sufferer during the last nine or ten years,
especially in the loss of many ships and treasures, which mishaps have
to our great concern been considerably increased in number, not only by
the disaster which befell the ship _Luchtenberg_, on the Wielingen, on
the Zeeland Banks, shortly after leaving port, as communicated to us by
the Directors of several Chambers, and particularly by the letter from
Amsterdam of the 8th of January; but also by the misfortunes which
befell the other ships that had sailed for this country in company with
that ship on the 2nd of November, 1727, and were obliged to put into
several harbours in a disabled state. Again, by the stranding on the 3rd
of July, in Table Bay, of the ships _Middenrack_, _Stabroeck_, and
_Haarlem_, of which the _Middenrack_ was dashed to pieces and lost all
hands, except the few who were on shore at the time, while the two
others were driven so close on shore that all hope of safety was
abandoned, but succeeded so far as to run their prow aground, whereby
the crew and money were saved, and the remainder of the cargo was
recovered from the ship undamaged by the sea water. The cargos of these
two stranded ships, together with three boxes containing amber from the
_Middenrack_, which had been washed ashore, have already been brought
over by the ships _Meyenberg_ and _Nieuwvliet_, they having, through
God’s blessing, happily ridden through this awful storm from the N.W.,
not without extreme danger. The ship _Hillegonde_ also lost its rudder
and _goodgings_, and had to be helped into Saldanha Bay. Thus we shall
not be able to make use of it here for some time to come, any more than,
as we fear, of the ships _Berkenrode_ and _Heenhoven_, which had not yet
appeared at the Cape on the 18th of July. This is the more alarming, as
the _Heenhoven_, on the 9th of February, in the north, at about 57° L.,
parted through stress of weather from the consorts _Meyenberg_ and
_Haerbroeck_, in whose company it had left Zeeland on the 24th of
January. However, we hope soon to welcome the arrival of the
above-mentioned two ships, under the blessing of the Most High, who also
is besought henceforth to ward off all disasters from the ships and the
establishment of the company, and to make them prosperous in all things;
so that the crew of the outward-bound ships may not be afflicted so
severely by sickness and death, as has been the case of late with
several ships, to such an extent, that it has been necessary to
reinforce them one from the other at the Cape; whereby, since the
departure of the ship _Meerlust_, in sixteen ships from Holland, only
1375 sailors, 575 soldiers, and 40 artisans, in all 1990 paid servants,
including the sick, have come over.”
Castle, Batavia, Oct. 30th, 1728.
APPENDIX I
TO HIS EXCELLENCY, AND THE NOBLE COUNCILLORS OF THE NETHERLANDISH INDIA.
We take the liberty of informing you, that, in sailing from the Cape of
Good Hope to Batavia with the company’s late ship _Zeewyck_, we were
wrecked on a reef on the ninth of June, 1727, at seven o’clock in the
evening, in the first watch.
The reef against which the vessel struck, is surrounded by a very high
and heavy surf, and runs in the shape of a half moon. On the inner side
lie many small islands, called Frederick Houtman’s Ambrollossen
(Abrolhos), which we gained on the eighteenth of June, and upon which we
remained from that day, until we had fetched from the wreck everything
that seemed to us necessary for the preservation of our life, spars,
ropes, timber and provisions. As soon as we had got these materials on
shore, our carpenter at once set to work with his men, by order of the
officers, and by the help of the common people, to build a vessel, so
that we might save our lives, if it pleased God. We called it the
_Sloepie_, that is, the little sloop, made up from the wreck of the
_Zeewyck_. When it was ready for sea, we made sail with a south wind and
fair weather on the twenty-sixth of March, having with us the money
chests of the company, as well as provisions for the voyage. We
continued to enjoy favourable weather throughout the voyage, and so
arrived by God’s blessing, on the twenty-first of April, 1728, in the
Straits of Sunda, eighty-two souls, of whom, we herewith subjoin a list
for the information of your nobility and council. We beg to wish you and
the council from the bottom of our heart, every prosperity and
happiness, and present respectfully our humble services.
Your etc.,
(S.) JAN. STEYNS,
JAN. NOBBENS.
APPENDIX II.
My High Excellency, together with the Council of the Netherlandish
India, I pray of you most urgently to send me help and assistance
against these robbers of the money and goods from the wreck _Zeewyk_,
who have divided the money and goods among themselves. I am stark naked;
they have taken every thing from me. O, my God! They have behaved like
wild beasts to me, and everyone is master. Worse than beasts do they
live; it is impossible that on board a pirate ship things can be worse
than here, because every one thinks that he is rich, from the highest to
the lowest of my subordinates. They say among themselves, “Let us drink
a glass to your health, ye old ducats!” I am ill and prostrate from
scurvy.
APPENDIX III.
EXTRACT PROM THE DELIBERATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS IN THE COUNCIL OF INDIA.
Monday, April 26th, 1728.
At five o’clock this afternoon we received a letter by the patchialang
_De Veerman_, very unexpectedly and fortunately, from the former skipper
and under-merchant of the ship _Zeewyk_, bound for these parts, written
in the Straits of Sunda, but undated, reporting the wreck of the ship on
the reef lying before the Islands Frederick Houtman’s Abrolhos, near the
Southland, at 28° L., on the 9th of June of last year. The crew having
afterwards fetched several necessaries from the wreck, made from the
timber a sloop or vessel, on board of which eighty-two souls have
reached these straits, together with the money taken out by the ship,
consisting of three tuns, according to the double invoice received. But,
besides that letter, there also came to hand a little card, unsigned,
apparently in the handwriting of the skipper, in which he complains in
unmistakeable terms of the behaviour and dishonesty of the crew; so that
we cannot but suppose that the money chests have been broken open, in
order that so splendid a booty might be divided. Therefore on the motion
of the Governor-General, it was resolved to send out at once to the
assistance of the suffering vessel and crew, who were obliged, in
default of fresh water, to put up with salt water for some time.
Accordingly the brigantine _De Hoop_, the sloop _De Olyftack_, and the
patchialangs _De Snip_ and the before-named _Veerman_, being made ready
by order of his excellency, the advocat-fiscal of India, Mr. Jacob
Graafland, with two commissioners from the Council of Justice, assisted
by the secretary and usher, together with one sergeant, two corporals,
and twelve private soldiers, was dispatched, in order that the ready
money might be secured without any delay, as much of it, that is, as
might still be found. Further; a thorough search was to be made after
the remainder, both among the crew and in all the corners and nooks of
the sloop, which has been put together by them.
This said sloop no other vessels shall be allowed to approach, with the
sole exception of that on board of which the commissioners are; so that
all possibility may be removed of any clandestine transfer of the stolen
booty to another crew, and of the noble company’s being thus injured by
a complot of a gang of expert thieves. The guilty ones shall be seized
and subjected to an exemplary punishment, as a warning to all other evil
doers in similar lamentable and fatal occurrences.
J. J. HENDRICKS, _Secr._
APPENDIX IV.
The Trials. About two hundred years have elapsed since the instructions
here mentioned were drawn up, and still these cliffs belong to the
“doubtfuls.” To what is this to be attributed? Do they in reality not
exist at all? The Governor-General, Antonio Van Diemen, to whom the
science of geography is so deeply indebted, did not doubt their
existence. He thus writes to the governor of Mauritius, Adrian van der
Hael, on the 2nd of September, 1643.
“The yacht _Cleen Mauritius_ has, like the former ships bound for these
parts, not seen anything of the Trials. This, however, proves nothing.
Those who would discover those shoals (as they are usually called) in
coming from your country, must be ordered to touch at the Southland at
about 27° S. L., or Dirk Hartog’s Reede; they must then sail as far
north as 20°, when they would find themselves about fifty miles E. of
the Trials. They then have to sail W., as there is no doubt that they
lie in 20° S. L.”
It may also not be unnecessary to quote in full the following statement,
taken from the “Vertooninge van Eylanden, Custen, Havens, en Bayen aº
1757, door den E. Capiteyn D. van Schilde en Schipper P. Hoogendorp (H.
S.)”
* * * * *
_Extract from the journal of the skipper Franchoys Buscop, on his
voyage out in the ship ’t Vaderland Getrouw, under date July 21st,
1707,[43] about his falling in with the Trials._
In the morning, at seven o’clock, in the day watch, we saw the little
islands of the Trials’ Shoals, at E. by E. well E., about five miles
from us, being three in number, the most southerly of them running up to
a sharp point and hanging over towards the S.E., being at its top a
little rounder than the one in the middle, but lower than the north one,
and a little more pointed. We also saw a high pointed cliff south of the
islands.
Shortly afterwards we saw the surf breaking E.N.E. ½ N. a short mile
from us, and four from the island. We at once turned away towards the
S.W., heaved the lead, and found fifty-seven fathoms water, with a
bottom of fine sand and rocks.
Shortly afterwards we encountered a storm with rain from the S.W. and
S.S.W. by S. Turned again to the W., ran in that direction till noon,
then put our course N.W.; heaved the lead and found sixty-five fathoms,
bottom as before. Took the bearings of the pointed island, lying E.N.E.,
at five and a half to six miles distance from us, and found the
longitude to be 124° 34´; I had calculated it at 123° 6´, so that by the
position of these islands we were 1° 28´ more to the E. than we
imagined. S. L. 20° 34´. I then corrected my reckonings. Afternoon wind
S. and S.S.E., blowing at top-sail and top-gallant-sail breeze, with fog
and drizzle. In the evening again heaved the lead, but found no bottom.
Shortened sail in order to heave the lead during the night. First watch,
water of a pale tint. Heaved the lead several times, but no bottom
found. Held on at N.W. to the beginning of the day-watch; steered N.;
wind at night S.S.E. and S.E., top-sail and top-gallant-sail breeze.[44]
According to a letter in the _Nautical Magazine_ of the year 1843, p.
392, the Trials were also seen by the Dutch ship _Jacobus_, captain
Louwerens. It is worthy of remark, that this observer places them in the
same longitude, whilst the latitude differs by about 1°.
The late veteran captain C. Brandligt has assured me that he saw them;
but he could not find the journals by which he wished to prove the
statement to me.
“Rocks and shoals in the ocean have been frequently seen and their true
positions given, but on further search could not be found. Now,
scientific men may dream, but I am under a strong impression that they
do exist; but, from some unknown causes, the ocean has its rise and
fall, and they are seen at the lowest ebb only.”
INDEX.
Aagtekerke, perhaps wrecked off the Houtman’s Abrolhos, 182
Aberts, Pieter, skipper, one of the survivors of the “Vergulde Draeck,”
77
Abrolhos, _v._ Houtman’s Abrolhos
Albuquerque, in 1511 sent A. de Breu and F. Serrano, with three ships
to Banda and Malacca, lx
Alexander VI, Pope, Bull on the discoveries, xxxvii
Alvaro de Mendana, discovers the Solomon Islands, the Marquesas, Queen
Charlotte’s Islands, attempts to establish a Colony on Santa Cruz,
lxx
Ambrollossen, Frederic Houtman, _v._ Houtman’s Abrolhos
Amsterdam, island, drawing of, brought back by Vlamingh, in 1696, 113
Amsterdam, shallop, expedition to the South Land under the command of
G. T. Pool, 75
Antelope, of London, under the command of Captain Hammond, met by
Dampier, 13
Ant-hills, taken for habitations, 65
Aratus, speaks of a southern continent, xiii
Arias, Dr. Juan Luis, memorial to Philip III, urges the necessity of
the discovery of the southern hemisphere, for the sake of converting
the natives before the English and Dutch heretics might do it, 1;
extract from De Silva’s treatise, 3;
prophecies, 4;
the southern hemisphere not all water, 12;
fertile, habitable, 15;
rich in metals, pearls, animals, fruits, 16;
A. Mendana de Meyra’s discoveries, 17;
P. F. de Quiros, 18;
J. Fernandez, 20;
Indians of Taumaco indicate a continent southwards, 23;
portion of the South Land already visited, larger than Europe, 24;
the decline of Spain, caused by the neglect of exploration, 25;
final loss of the crown threatened, 28
Arms of Amsterdam, ship, touched at the south coast of New Guinea, in
1619, part of the crew murdered by the natives, 44
Aristotle, speaks of a southern continent, xiii
Arnhem, island, discovery, 45
Arnhem, yacht, voyage to New Guinea, 44;
skipper and eight of the crew murdered, 45
Atlantis, island of, described by Plato, ii
Aucke, Pietersz Jonck, _v._ Jonck