In the 17th century the spice trade was a very lucrative venture. The long sea voyage from Europe to the Spice Islands via the Cape of Good Hope was dangerous. The Dutch East India Company decided that they could shorten the journey by travelling east from the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian Ocean close to the coast of Western Australia. There were however, no accurate charts of these waters until the 18th century.
On 27 October 1628, the Batavia commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, set sail under the command of Francisco Pelsaert on its maiden voyage for the Dutch East Indies, to purchase spices. On board the Batavia were 322 men, women and children, along with a considerable amount of money and treasure. Also on board were skipper Ariaen Jacobsz and a junior officer Jeronimus Cornelisz, both with other ideas. During the journey to Cape Town Jacobsz and Cornelisz begin to recruit fellow mutineers promising them a share of the treasure. The author uses the initial part of the book to set the scene and relationship of the characters. When the Batavia left Cape Town, it is thought that Jacobsz deliberately steered the Batavia off course so that a mutiny could take place and the mutineers could escape safely to land.
The Batavia met with disaster when it ran aground on a reef at the Houtman's Abroltios Islands. The ship gradually broke up and all but about 40 people on board made their way to one of the nearby islands.
It soon became apparent that there were limited easily obtainable food and water supplies on any of the islands, though natives were briefly sighted. Pelsaert and 47 others set off in a long boat to get help in the East Indies.
What followed was the systematic murder of some 110 men, women and children who were seen to be a burden on the limited food and water supplies or eventually just because of boredom by the main villain Cornelisz but backed by Jacobsz and their fellow mutineers. One group of soldiers who went in search of water on a neighbouring island managed to repel the murderous advances of the mutineers and lived to testify against them after the survivors were rescued.
This fictional account of murder, sexual slavery and greed is backed by journals, letters and documents written at the time. Some of the skeletons of those murdered have been found to further testify against this bloody period of history.
If you like murder, mayhem and history, this is the book for you.
On 27 October 1628, the Batavia commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, set sail under the command of Francisco Pelsaert on its maiden voyage for the Dutch East Indies, to purchase spices. On board the Batavia were 322 men, women and children, along with a considerable amount of money and treasure. Also on board were skipper Ariaen Jacobsz and a junior officer Jeronimus Cornelisz, both with other ideas. During the journey to Cape Town Jacobsz and Cornelisz begin to recruit fellow mutineers promising them a share of the treasure. The author uses the initial part of the book to set the scene and relationship of the characters. When the Batavia left Cape Town, it is thought that Jacobsz deliberately steered the Batavia off course so that a mutiny could take place and the mutineers could escape safely to land.
The Batavia met with disaster when it ran aground on a reef at the Houtman's Abroltios Islands. The ship gradually broke up and all but about 40 people on board made their way to one of the nearby islands.
It soon became apparent that there were limited easily obtainable food and water supplies on any of the islands, though natives were briefly sighted. Pelsaert and 47 others set off in a long boat to get help in the East Indies.
What followed was the systematic murder of some 110 men, women and children who were seen to be a burden on the limited food and water supplies or eventually just because of boredom by the main villain Cornelisz but backed by Jacobsz and their fellow mutineers. One group of soldiers who went in search of water on a neighbouring island managed to repel the murderous advances of the mutineers and lived to testify against them after the survivors were rescued.
This fictional account of murder, sexual slavery and greed is backed by journals, letters and documents written at the time. Some of the skeletons of those murdered have been found to further testify against this bloody period of history.
If you like murder, mayhem and history, this is the book for you.
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