The tale of Batavia: what a struggle!

The tale of ‘Batavia’ – incorporating shipwreck, betrayal, murder and incredible courage – is not well known. It is one of the most horrific stories of all time and occurred off the coast of Western Australia, albeit prior to Australian settlement.

Over the years (since the late 1950s, in fact) I have read everything I could find on the subject. Three years ago, a new book, Batavia, was published, researched and written by well-known author, Peter Fitzsimons.

My brother-in-law, realising I hadn’t read it, recently passed on a copy saying he had some reservations about it. He wouldn’t say what they were but asked if I’d record my impressions. We’d compare notes afterwards. I fitted the reading into a busy week and must say I struggled with it. But more of that anon. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, I should provide a brief background…

‘Batavia’ was a Dutch East Indiaman on her maiden voyage to the spice city for which she was named. A huge ship for her time (almost 60 metres in length and displacing around 1200 tonnes), she ran aground on the Houtman Islands, off modern-day Geraldton, in June 1629. Some 80 of the 320-odd people on board perished as a result of the wreck. The survivors were distributed across a number of nearby islands. A major problem was the lack of available fresh water.

The skipper, Ariaen Jacobsz, and the Uppermerchant, Francisco Pelsaert (who was the senior official representing the Dutch East India Company), set off with several passengers and crew to seek water on the nearby mainland. Unable to establish a suitable source, they turned their 30-foot longboat north and began a remarkable 33-day trip to Batavia (now Jakarta). Once there, Jacobsz was jailed (held responsible for the loss of his ship, and there was further evidence that he may have been involved in mutiny). Pelsaert was promptly sent back on the yacht ‘Sardam’ to pick up survivors and – perhaps even more important in the company’s eyes – salvage the wealth that was aboard the lost ship.

What met Pelsaert and the Sardam crew on return to the Abroholhos was a scene of dreadful carnage. An Undermerchant, Jeronimus Cornelisz, had organised mutineers to murder those who refused to become a part of their plan to hijack any ship that arrived to pick them up. In the period between Pelsaert’s departure and his return, at least 110 men, women and children had been slaughtered.

The Batavia story has been of interest to me since 1957 when I read Henrietta Drake-Brockman’s historic novel, The Wicked And The Fair. This was followed, some six years later, by her major work on the subject: Voyage To Disaster, which took ten years’ research to complete. I’ve since read around 40 works (books, historical records and articles) including Batavia’s Graveyard by historian Mike Dash and The Wreck Of The Batavia by Simon Leys.

It was with some expectation that I commenced Peter FitzSimon’s Batavia. I’ve read a number of his books over the years, including the one I think his best, the biography of Nancy Wake. Peter is obviously a passionate researcher but I find his writing style somewhat condescending.

I respect the work done to bring together such an involved story of mutinous passage and its murderous aftermath. What grated in the main was the narrative style used, especially the manner in which speech was attributed to characters. The ardent (and especially already informed) reader has no need of it. This was proclaimed a ‘creative non-fiction’ work. Pity, then, that it reads like fiction (my brother-in-law thought similarly).

I do not suggest for one moment you not try it for yourself. It may be to your liking and it does, after all, tell a story that ought to be better known. If, though, like me, you prefer something more substantial, I highly recommended two earlier works: Henrietta Drake-Brockman’s seminal Voyage To Disaster (a research work, still available from UWA, and one that provides a great deal of insight into how Drake-Brockman helped prove the site of the wreck) and the above-mentioned Batavia’s Graveyard by Mike Dash.

Have you read “Batavia?” If so, I’d like your response (even if I have to wear shin guards!)