Batavia’s Graveyard
Batavia’s Graveyard by Mike Dash gives a fascinating account of mutiny, shipwreck, murder and survival. It tells the true story of a 17th century psycopath who orchestrated the murders of more than 100 people.
Jeronimus Cornelisz was a chemist who fell on hard times and signed up as a low-ranking officer in the Dutch East India Company.
The book describes his early life and probable background, including family association with a radical Baptist sect and personal ties with a renowned heretic.
He was assigned to the Batavia for its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to Java. Although a state-of-the-art vessel, the Batavia was only 160 feet long and carried 340 passengers plus animals, supplies and trade goods.
The ship’s captain was a malcontent in conflict with the company’s senior officer. Indications are that Cornelisz and the captain agreed to mutiny before reaching the Indies. However, a storm struck and the ship ran aground off the Western Australian coast in Houtman’s Abrolhos. These are basically rocks, mud flats and shallows with little water.
Most passengers survived the shipwreck and made it ashore to one of the barren islands. The senior officer and captain took the longboat and set off for the long journey to Batavia, which they eventally reached against great odds.
Meanwhile, Cornelisz emerged as leader from the power vacuum and set about imposing his authority. What followed was a murderous regime that featured random killing, rape, tyranny and terror. Saddam Hussein is a nice guy alongside Cornelisz.
His main threat was a soldier, Wiebbe Hayes, who Cornelisz cunningly despatched to inspect and settle a nearby island before the killing began. Hayes emerges later as the hero. Cornelisz believed Hayes and his little band would perish without supplies, but they struggledashore on the only island in the Abrolhos that has permanent water. There were plenty of birds and fish for food.
The brutal killings on Cornelisz’ island continued. The psychopath made plans to storm any rescue ship that might arrive from Batavia, but Hayes’ unexpected survival raised the spectre of failure. He had to deal with Hayes.
Instead, Hayes dealt with Cornelisz. He captured the brigand and held him prisoner in a filthy pit. The rescue ship came and the sorry saga was revealed.
Cornelisz and his fellow perpetrators were summarily tried and executed, in most cases after lashings and hand amputations in accordance with company rules.
The Dutch kept meticulous records of all things. The author of this book recounts the detail in a way that doesn’t interfere with the narrative. What a great yarn. It’s hard to conceive fiction this real and brutal.
Fascinating sidelines include descriptions of the vessel and life aboard, insight to the company’s mercenary commercialism and information about the Indies.
Although it’s an historical non-fiction work, Batavia’s Graveyard reads in the style of a novel, albeit a dark and macabre tale.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
