Batavia's Graveyard - Mike Dash [223]
“in order not to trouble . . .” Ibid. [DB 239].
Zussie Fredericx As we have seen, the unfortunate Zussie had already been made to sleep with Jan Hendricxsz, who had kept her as his concubine for two months, as well as with Mattys Beer and Jan Pelgrom (Sentence on Jan Hendricxsz, 28 Sep 1629 [DB 184]; sentence on Mattys Beer, 28 Sep 1629 [DB 193]; interrogation of Jan Pelgrom, 26 Sep 1629 [DB209]), so the allegation, if true, would take to at least six the number of men she had intercourse with in the Abrolhos.
The second siege of Batavia Bernard Vlekke, The Story of the Dutch East Indies (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1946), pp. 93–4; Drake-Brockman op. cit., pp. 71–2; R. Spruit, Jan Pietersz Coen: Daden en Dagen in Dienst van de VOC (Houten: De Haan, 1987), pp. 103–7.
The death of Jan Coen Spruit, op. cit., pp. 106–10; F. W. Stapel (ed.), Beschryvinge van de Oostindische Compagnie, vol. 3 (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1939), p. 456.
The elevation of Jacques Specx Specx had not actually left the Dutch Republic until 25 January 1629, two months after Pelsaert had sailed. His election was merely provisional, as the appointment was made by the Council of the Indies and not by the Gentlemen XVII, but it was later made permanent and he served in the position for three years. F. W. Stapel, De Gouveneurs-Generaal van Nederlandsch-Indiï in Beeld en Woord (The Hague: Van Stockum, 1941), p. 19.
Execution of justice on the Sardam Drake-Brockman draws attention to the fact that Deschamps was back on the Sardam’s council by 30 November, a fortnight after he was supposedly keelhauled and flogged—apparently because she doubted that he could have recovered from his punishment so quickly. Gijsbert Bastiaensz, the only witness to have left any sort of account, says merely that “of the others, some were punished on the Ship, some were brought to Batavia.” The last comment may simply refer to Jacop Pietersz, but since the reference to people is in the plural, I think it more probable that none of the sentences actually passed on the Sardam eight were actually carried out in the five days between the delivery of the verdicts and the ship’s arrival in Batavia. There is reason to assume that the five prisoners sentenced earlier did receive their punishments, since Pelsaert was quite definite, in his summing up, that they would take place “tomorrow,” i.e., on 13 November. It is certainly not impossible that Deschamps had recovered sufficiently to act as Pelsaert’s clerk again by the end of the month; much would depend on the actual severity of the flogging he received. It is beyond question that naval men who received a flogging were expected back at their posts more quickly than that. Sentences on Salomon Deschamps, Rogier Decker, Abraham Gerritsz, and Claes Harmansz, JFP 12 Nov 1629 [DB 231–4]; LGB; Drake-Brockman, op. cit., p. 247n.
Specx’s sentences “Final sentences on men already examined and sentenced aboard Sardam,” ARA VOC 1011 [DB 270–1].
Stone-Cutter Pietersz The Batavia journals contain no details of any interrogation of Pietersz, which makes ascertaining his part in the mutiny unusually difficult. See, however, the confession of Jan Hendricxsz, JFP 19 Sep 1629 [DB 178] for Pietersz’s role in the Traitors’ Island killings.
Breaking on the wheel Philippe Godard, The First and Last Voyage of the Batavia (Perth: Abrolhos Publishing, nd, c. 1993), p. 215; Laurence, op. cit., pp. 224–5. An executioner was typically paid three guilders for performing such an execution.
The proportion of casualties Francisco Pelsaert left the following note regarding the fate of the people embarked on board the Batavia (ARA VOC 1098, fol. 582r [R 220]; Godard, op. cit., pp. 205–8):
VOC PERSONNEL AND SOLDIERS
Men of little worth who deserted before departure by running away throughthe dunes 6
Transferred to the Galiasse and the Sardam, two consorts, onthe eve of departure