Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/334

 180 THE HOUTMAN^S ABROLHOS,

the Southland, in S. lat. 29°, and otherwise called the Tortel- duyff's Islands. The crew had, in favourable weather, suc- ceeded 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 Com- pany 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 respect- fully 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 Graaf- land, 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,^ without signature, written by the skipper, in which he complains of the outrageous and thievish beha- viour 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-men- tioned commissioners were duly instructed to take means to prevent the concealment of the company's moneys. But the jirecaution 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 '■ Appendix II.