Batavia's Graveyard - Mike Dash [213]
Coen and the attempted conquest of China Spruit, op. cit., pp. 74, 80–2.
The Amboina massacre The total armament available to the English contingent, it seems worth noting, consisted of three swords and two muskets. Ibid., pp. 89–92; John Keay, The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company (London: HarperCollins, 1993), pp. 47–51; Milton, op. cit., pp. 318–42.
“An oriental despotism of the traditional kind” Boxer, op. cit., p. 191.
Agung of Mataram Spruit, op. cit., pp. 92–105; Boxer, op. cit., pp. 190–2; Vlekke, op. cit., pp. 88–9, 94; Israel, op. cit., p. 181. The Mataramese war effort was covertly backed by the Portuguese. Mataram itself is nowadays known as Jogjakarta.
“. . . a small proportion of their ships . . .” Not all that many. The Company had lost four vessels in the years 1602–24, and would lose another 16 (14 wrecked and two captured) in the next quarter of a century, about 3 for every hundred voyages made during the period 1602–49. Jaap Bruijn et al., op. cit., I, p. 75.
“could never forget misdeeds . . .” The opinion of the historian Bernard Vlekke, cited by Drake-Brockman, op. cit., p. 45.
Sara Specx Coen’s principal motive in prosecuting this case was to assuage the disgrace done to the reputation of the Dutch in the eyes of the Javanese; Sara’s lover, a standard-bearer named Pieter Cortenhoeff, had bribed some slaves to allow him access to the girl’s chamber, and news of their actions had thus spread to the native community. Sara Specx was the natural child of Jacques, the president of the fleet Pelsaert was supposed to have sailed in. She was half-Japanese and was born on the island of Hirado in 1617. Taylor, The Social World of Batavia, p. 16.
Pelsaert before the Council of the Indies Minutes of the Governor-General in council, 9 Jul 1629, cited by Drake-Brockman, op. cit., p. 44. During Pelsaert’s time in Batavia, he was also interrogated by Anthonij Van den Heuvel, the fiscaal, as to the precise circumstances of the disaster. Pelsaert declaration, op. cit.
Coen’s encounter with the South-Land J. A. Heeres, The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606–1765 (London: Luzac, 1899), p. 52; Schilder, op. cit., p. 100; Miriam Estensen, Discovery: the Quest for the Great South Land (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1998), p. 152. Coen’s estimates of distance are given here in English miles; his original account gives them in Dutch mijlen, each of which was approximately 4H miles long.
“the other members of the council” Although the Council nominally had eight seats, there were in fact six vacancies at this time. Nor were the two remaining members in any real sense independent. Van Diemen was an undischarged bankrupt who had fled to the Indies, and Coen had shielded him from the Gentlemen XVII in spite of this because he recognized his great ability; he thus owed his entire career to the governor-general. Vlack was Coen’s brother-in-law. Gerretson, op. cit., p. 64.
Coen’s orders Order of 15 July 1629, cited by Drake-Brockman, op. cit., pp. 257–8.
Arrest of Jacobsz and Evertsz Drake-Brockman, op. cit., pp. 46, 63.
“Because Ariaen Jacobsz . . .” Governor-General in council, 13 July 1629, cited in ibid., p. 46.
Antonij van den Heuvel He had arrived in Batavia in June 1628 and three months later was appointed fiscaal. His principal task was to curb the excesses of the private trade, and in order to incentivize him the Gentlemen XVII had promised Van den Heuvel one-third of all the fines he imposed on those found guilty of the crime. The new fiscaal took to his job with enthusiasm, even fining members of the Council of the Indies for their activities. He quickly became the most hated man in Batavia as a result. Gerretson, op. cit., pp. 68–70.
The Sardam’s voyage JFP 15 Jul–16 Sep [DB 134–141]; Drake-Brockman, op. cit., pp. 46–7. For Gerritsz, Hollert, and Claas Jansz, see ibid., pp. 46, 68.
Gerritsz, Jacob Jansz, and Claes Jansz OV; JFP 28 Sep 1629 [DB 157]; Drake-Brockman, op. cit., p. 68; Pelsaert’s declaration, op. cit.
“Smoke on a long island . . .