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| Batavia replica (courtesy Bataviawerf, Lelystad) |
October 28, 1628 - Texel, Netherlands - Sets sail for the East Indies in a group of eight Dutch East India Company (VOC) ships: "Buren", "Dordrecht", "'s-Gravenhage", "Galliasse", "Batavia", "Assendelft", "Saerdam" and "Kleine David". The "Batavia" runs aground temporarily in the low tide =(START)
October 29, 1628 - Coast of Zeeland / outside Antwerp - The high tide releases the "Batavia" and she is able to rejoin the other ships. Then, the fleet is battered by two storms and the "Batavia" is stranded
October 30, 1628 - The Downs, England - The "Batavia" rejoins again the rest of the fleet at the Downs. The "'s-Gravenhage" is badly damaged by the storm and has to return to port to be repaired. The fleet is reduced to 7 ships
December 28, 1628 - Sierra Leone - Pulls into port in Sierra Leone. They find Abraham Gerritszoon, a 15-year-old dutch sailor who had deserted the "Leyden" a few months earlier. Pelsaert agrees to take him aboard
January 1(?), 1629 - Sierra Leone - The course is changed towards Brazil, to sail around the southeastern winds. As they sail further to the South Atlantic, they begin to face many dead calms in the South Atlantic and long hours of blazing Sun
March 10, 1629 - Coast of Brazil - The "Batavia" reaches the coast of Brazil. The ship is then steered to the southeast, towards South Africa
April 14, 1629 - Table Bay, South Africa - The "Batavia" calls at Table Bay for provisions and to careen the ship
April 15, 1629 - Table Bay - Pelsaert goes ashore to negotiate with the khoikhoi, a local tribe of hearders
April 17, 1629 - Table Bay - Pelsaert returns to the "Batavia" and listens to complains of the other captains about the drunkenness of skipper Ariaen Jacobszoon
April 20, 1629 - Table Bay - Skipper Ariaen Jacobszoon and apothecary-turned-merchant Jeronimus Cornelisz begin plotting to seize the ship and its treasures. The first part of their plan: To separate the "Batavia" from the rest of the fleet. Then kill Pelsaert and sail the ship to Mauritius, away from VOC reach
April 22, 1629 - Table Bay - The fleet continues voyage after eight days at Table Bay
April 26, 1629 - Coast of South Africa - Pelsaert falls seriously ill, while the number of mutineers grows to eight. Jacobszoon steers the ship away from the rest of the fleet, probably during a storm
May 13, 1629 - South Indian Ocean - To the surprise of everyone, Pelsaert appears on deck, seemingly recovered
May 14, 1629 - South Indian Ocean - A group of mutineers abuses the young noblewoman Lucretia Jans to force Pelsaert to take unpopular measures
May 15, 1629 - South Indian Ocean - Pelsaert warns the entire crew that he would stop at nothing to put the criminals responsible in chains. The mutineers begin to arm themselves and get ready. Later, Pelsaert speaks to Lucretia Jans, who tells him she had recognized the voice and accent of high-boatswain Jan Evertszoon. Pelsaert concludes that if a high-ranking officer was involved, then skipper Ariaen Jacobszoon was probably as well. So, to protect the ship's precious cargo, he remains silent until arriving in Batavia, to let the VOC do justice there.
June 4, 1629 - Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia - During the night, the "Batavia" hits a reef in the Abrolhos Islands off the west coast of Australia. Most passengers and crew manage to get off the ship to some small islands. A small portion of the crew remains inside the ship's wreckage waiting to be rescued. Captain Francisco Pelsaert and 47 others (including a baby) begin an epic journey to Batavia on the ship's longboat to bring a rescue mission to the survivors. When he reaches Batavia, all 48 of them had survived. =(END)
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