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Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - September - 2011 Issue
The Great South Land from Hordern House
Batavia mutineers are hanged, while their leader first has his hands cut off.
Item 84 offers some of the first looks at Australia, though this early landing was entirely unintentional. The Dutch title is Ongeluckige Voyagie, Van't Schip Batavia… by Francois Pelsaert. It is one of the rare pre-1650 editions, published in 1649. Pelsaert commanded the Batavia on its maiden voyage, a rather standard transport of jewels and goods from the Netherlands to the city of Batavia (today's Jakarta) for trade. However, some mutinous crewmen deliberately steered the ship off course, and it struck a reef along islands off the west coast of Australia. Pelsaert and some loyal crewmen explored the coast of the largely unknown continent for food and water, and being unsuccessful, headed off to Batavia in their small boat to seek rescue. When they and the rescuers returned, they discovered the mutineers had murdered many of the innocent passengers. The guilty were quickly hung, their leader, Jeronimus Cornelisz first having his hands chopped off to reinforce their displeasure with his actions. This book provides the first illustrated scenes of Australia. It also includes a second eyewitness account by Gijsbert Basiaenz, a survivor whose family was murdered by the mutineers. AU $145,000 (US $150,169).
