After Batavia Products

In 1628, the Dutch merchant ship Batavia embarked on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands, loaded with gold, silver, and precious jewels. Onboard were several hundred hopeful passengers en route to a fresh start in the East Indies, with Java as their intended destination. Unfortunately, a violent storm threw the ship significantly off course, and the reluctant captain, Francisco Pelsaert, was unwilling to admit to his lost bearings. Ultimately, the ship ran aground on a small cluster of coral islands off the western coast of Australia.

The situation worsened as the stranded survivors found themselves isolated with a faction of the crew that had been plotting a bloody mutiny prior to the shipwreck. Cut off from food, water, and shelter, these unfortunate souls faced dire circumstances. As Captain Pelsaert, a somewhat naïve and indecisive leader, became aware of the intense unrest among the crew, he chose to leave the surviving passengers and crew behind. Accompanied by a few loyal employees, he took the ship's only longboat and set out for Java, unaware that he faced an arduous 1,800-mile journey.

The ensuing weeks culminated in one of the most horrific chapters of Western Australia’s history. Desperation fueled a group of predatory men who brutally massacred over 100 innocent men, women, and children. Randomly selected victims endured unspeakable torture, suffering horrific injuries before their deaths. Many were hacked with knives, strangled, bludgeoned, or mutilated before being drowned. Women were subjected to relentless sexual assault, and those who resisted were also slain. A small group of survivors who reached a nearby island listened in horror as the cries and screams echoed across the water.

Pelsaert's return aboard the ship Sardam was timely, allowing him to prevent a final massacre as the remaining mutineers prepared for one last lethal assault on the survivors. Without hesitation, Pelsaert set about trying and convicting the murderers he found. Following naval custom, the ringleaders had their hands amputated before being hanged from hastily constructed gallows. Some mutineers were destined for trial back in the Netherlands.

Amidst the turmoil, two individuals, Wouter Looes, a former soldier, and a cabin boy named Jan Pelgrom, appealed for mercy. They requested to be abandoned on the mainland to face their fate alone. Pelsaert consented, marooning them on a desolate beach near Wittecarra Gully, south of the Murchison River’s mouth, known today as Kalbarri. Curiously, Pelsaert exhibited surprising compassion, even for Pelgrom, who had been seen participating in the gruesome acts. Jan Pelgrom, only 18 at the time, had displayed erratic behavior, possibly eliciting pity from Pelsaert. Wouter Looes likely earned his reprieve through acts of kindness shown towards the female passengers. They received a small supply of equipment along with beads and trinkets to trade with the local indigenous peoples.

Simultaneously, other members of the Sardam’s crew were engaged in salvaging supplies from the wrecked Batavia. Among them were Jacob Jacobsz, the Sardam's captain, Pieter Pietersz, Ariaan Theuwissen, and Cornelis Pieterszoon, on a quest to recover any floating debris, including barrels of wine or vinegar. Unfortunately, during this time, October brought seasonal monsoons that unleashed a fierce storm lasting two days, sweeping their small boat far out to sea. Although Pelsaert dispatched a search party, no sign of the crew could be found.

As the monsoon finally subsided, Pelsaert sailed back to the Netherlands aboard the Sardam, while Wouter Looes, Jan Pelgrom, and the salvage crew vanished without a trace. This narrative explores what may have become of them in those treacherous circumstances.

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