Page:The Western Mail - Christmas 1897 - Page 8.jpg

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In the evening the principal scoundrels and their helpers, that had been captured and put in irons that day, were taken to the Seals Island, to remain there till they would be sent for, to be once more examined. It was thought that they would be better secured there.

From cross questionings and free confessions of all these it became evident that day what a wicked life these out and out miscreants had led on the island, not refraining from shamefully misusing the company’s goods, cloths and materials, gold trimmings, and other wares, which they had fished up. With these they had clothed themselves trimming them with so much gold lace that the material was hardly visible, as might be observed from Jerome Cornelisz’ clothes, who, it appeared, set the example in all this. Neither had they refrained from appropriating to themselves the rescued goods and clothes that were private property, and from distributing these for use, as if they had been left to them by bequest. Jerome Cornelisz had gone so far in his satanic pride, that he had not scrupled to wear different clothes every day, and to deck himself out in silk stockings and garters with gold trimmings. He had clothed those of his adherents whom he trusted most in the work of assassination with red cloth, trimmed with two or more bands of gold lace. He had invented fresh patterns of cassocks for every day. Clearly he had been convinced and had persuaded the others, that this vain and wicked revelry would last for ever.
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Huyssen. The remaining women, the sisters Catherine and Susan Fredericks, Annie Bosnchietsters, and Mary Lorrysen, were allotted to the other men. To prevent all disastrous dissension, he made a code of regulations, which every one signed under oath, as is given in the preceding pages. The women also, if they wished to save their lives, had to swear allegiance to those regulations.


 * width="20%" | from Gugerat declared that they had found six more money chests and that it would be quite feasible to bring them up. Meanwhile the second chest that had been brought to the surface was propped and moved on to the dry land, so now they had already obtained and secured four chests; the divers prepared for the return of the Skipper. Then, however, the wind rose with such force and the sea ran against the wreck so violently that they were obliged to leave. Therefore they fetched the secured chests from the dry places, and took them to the island Batavia’s Churchyard. The remainder of the day they spent in examining the prisoners.

On the 26th a strong wind blew from the south-west, so that they could not work at the wreck, wherefore the boat was sent to another island to bring them a capstan and some empty oil casks that were there. Before noon another boat went out to get water. Meanwhile the Commodore sent for Cornelisz Jansz, of Amsterdam, assistant, and Aris Cornelisz, of Hoorne, barber, in order to question them on that which had happened while they tried to escape from being killed. In the afternoon the
 * width="20%" | wicked life of brigandage, they might, when at sea, break out and be corrupted and tempted by the great riches of the wreck, belonging to their Masters. Upon this consideration the following resolution was passed.

On this day, the 28th of September, 1629, the Commodore, Francois Palsaert, and his ship’s counsellors of the yacht Sardam, on the island Batavia’s Churchyard, situate near the wreck of the vessel Batavia, in latitude 28 deg. south, about nine miles from the mainiand have resolved as follows:


 * width="20%" rowspan=5 | month of September until this day in order to find the truth of all this, we have obtained knowledge of the following facts, from our examination as well as from voluntary confessions:— Jerome Comelisz, supercargo of the vessel Batavia, after sailing from the Capo de Bonna Esperanse (Cape of Good Hope), entered into a conspiracy with the Skipper, Adriaen Jacobsz, intending to seize the vessel, and to assassinate all the people except one hundred and twenty; further, to sail as pirates and, finally, to run into port in Spain or some other place. This scheme they were unable to carry out, on account of their shipwreck. He, himself, confessed that it was by his orders, and with the approval of his Council, that so many people were murdered in order to reduce the company to a small number. He had further planned with David van Seevangh, Coenraldt van Huyssen, and Jacob Pietersz, to seize the first yacht that should arrive, but meanwhile they intended to try and conquer the people on the large island, or bring them to submission. If then a yacht had come they would have induced the crew to come ashore with a boat, and made them drunk; after which it would have been easy to put them out of the way, and to surreptitiously seize the vessel by night They thought this plot could not very well fail, for they calculated that such a yacht would not carry more than 20 or 30 men. Having after a long cross-examination of all the remaining people, with God’s help, obtained an exact and true knowledge of these terrible deeds, the Commodore has proposed a choice between two courses. Either these reprobate miscreants, tainted with every crime and divested of all human pity, are to be put in irons on the vessel and taken to Batavia, to the Lord General to be punished according to their deserts by especial order of the authorities, our Lords and Masters; or they are to be punished at the very place where their crimes were committed, in order to expose the ship and the crew to no further danger. This question has been ripely considered, and during its discussion attention has been also paid to the fact that Jerome Cornelisz is not only tainted with abominable crimes, but has moreover adopted a most abominable creed, maintaining that there is neither devil nor hell, and trying to inculcate this belief on his comrades, thereby corrupting them all. It has, therefore, been unanimously approved and resolved, as best serving the interest of the Company, and in order to secure from further danger both the vessel and the precious cargo just retrieved from the waters, to sentence and condemn Jerome Cornelisz aforesaid, and his most willing fellow assassins, those that have made a profession of murder.


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 * width="20%" | days, miraculously found two wells of fresh water, which, nevertheless, rose and fell with the high and the low tide, so that at first they had imagined that it must be salt water.

On the 21st the breeze blew fresh from the east-south-east They then noticed that the water remained very low there, and the longboat could not come back from the island that day on account of the strong wind;, they therefore spent that day examining the prisoners.

This strong wind continued on the 22nd, and the longboat did not come yet. Towards noon the Commodore and the Skipper and three men went in a boat to the wreck, to survey its exact position, but when they reached it the breakers were so terrible that the divers durst not undertake to swim across, so in the evening they returned to the vessel without having done anything.

On the 23rd the wind was still as before. That morning the prisoners who had been sent to the Seals Island, were sent for to be examined, which occupied the whole day. Meanwhile the Skipper was again sent to
 * width="20%" | weather became calm and the water smooth, so that the Skipper immediately went to the wreck with a well-manned boat, in order to bring up and secure the money chests they had discovered on the previous day. When he returned late in the afternoon he brought three of them. One of them he had as yet been obliged to leave, as it could not be got until a piece of cannon and an anchor, which were lying cross ways on top of it, had been removed with great labour and trouble.

On the 27th there blew a stiff breeze from the south, and that day they were unable to work at the wreck. Before noon the longboat returned from the high island, bring the two above named persons, Cornelis Jansz and Aris Pietersz, whose testimony was to be heard against the other assassins and miscreants. That day, therefore, was devoted to the examination.

examined. Again it became sadly evident what horrible, abominable murders these men had perpetrated, viz., the said Jerome, further David van Seevangh, the assistant, and Coenraldt van Huyssen, ensign, both of whom had been killed on
 * width="20%" | wreck there were a party of miscreants who intended to seize the yacht that had come to their rescue. The supercargo, Jerome Cornelisz, the chief of these miscreants, who had had the intention of surprising and murdering those who were now warning the Commodore, had been captured by the latter. The Commodore immediately sent for this man and had him brought on board as a prisoner. He returned to his ship, in order to communicate to his people the sad tidings he had so unexpectedly received and to make them prepare for defence. But already, while on this journey, eleven of these miscreants came rowing towards him in a flat-bottomed boat. He went on board the vessel, ordering the rebels to surrender. They submitted, and were imprisoned on board. All these, and also Jerome Cornelisz, who was brought on board in the meantime were
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 * width="20%" | the wreck to see whether any of the goods could be secured; but he returned stating that it was still impossible on account of the terrible breakers. On the 24th September, nothing particular happened except that the Skipper went aboard with the boat in order to bring some necessaries on shore, as it was not yet possible to work at the wreck.

On the evening of the 25th, the weather being still, the Skipper and the boatswain were again sent to the wreck to see whether it was possible to set to work. When they had arrived there, it was noticed from the shore that they were busy getting something out of the water. The Commodore, therefore, sent the other boat to their assistance, well manned, he himself following in the smallest boat, with a man and two boys, in order to join them. When he arrived there he found them busy with a bundle of tinsel and a chest


 * width="20%" | nigh finished it. The intentions of the principal miscreants and murderers became sufficiently evident from their own confessions, from various testimonies, and, alas, from the dire results of their actions. This will be seen from the following written testi-

“They had further, according to their own confession and testimony, murdered more than 120 people - men, women, and children - drawing many, and killing others in all sorts of cruel ways, the principal assassins still being alive:- Lenaert Michielsz van Os, soldier; Matthijs Beyr, of Munterberg, ensign; Jan Hendricksz, of Bremen, soldier; Allert Jansz, of Assendeift, musketeer; Rutgert Fredericks, of Gronnigen, locksmith; Jan Pillegromsz de Bye, of Bounnell, steward; and Andries Jonasz, of Liege, soldier; besides their accomplices. Having therefore inquired and examined daily from the 17th of this
 * width="20%" | the high island a fortnight ago, at the time when Jerome Cornelisz had been captured; also Jacob Pietersz, a subaltern, who had escaped on that occasion. Their intention had been to kill all the people except 40 or less, and next they had planned to conquer and kill a certain number, about 47 men, who had fled from the murder to the high island. They had made repeated assaults on these, but had been driven back every time. According to their own confession, they had wished to seize upon the first yacht that should come to their rescue, and sail to Spain, Barbary, or some similar place, living as pirates.
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