The Captain-General: being the story of the attempt of the Dutch to colonize New Holland

Front matter

I I I I I ■ ■ ■ ■ I ■ ■ THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL -/Baflantgru $>rc%3 BALLANTYNE, HANSON AND CO. LONDON AND EDINBURGH THE COUTHERN Gl?OUP OF HOUTMAN'S ABROLH03 (From the Admiralty Chart) THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL BEIXG THE STORY CF THE ATTEMPT OF THE DUTCH TO COLONIZE NEW HOLLAND BV W. J. GORDON " JEnDe broeOerlijcfce UefOe toe Oragcn " LONDON AND NEW YORK FREDERICK WARNE AND CO. 1888 [All rights reserved'] Dedicate this JSook TO THE BEST FRIEND THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME, AND THAT BEST FRIEND IS MY WIFE

Preface

. It was in Mr. Henniker Heaton's " Australian Dic tionary of Dates" that I first read of the Dutch attempt to colonize New Holland, and on further inquiry it seemed to me an experience of some significance, dramatic in incident and completeness, and worth recording at length with due regard to its modern application. It is a story of the struggles of a nation in minia ture, whose central figure is an unscrupulous adven turer making capital out of the political theories of the day, and advancing through democracy to despotism in a way not unknown to students of revo lutions. It is a pirate story, bloodstained, as all such stories are, and ending in cruelty and death ; but I trust 1' HE FACE. I have not dwelt on the details of crime more than was necessary, and I am sure those of my readers who turn to the older versions will acquit me of giving undue prominence to the horrible.

It has not been thought worth while to give copies of all the bonds and undertakings entered into on the island. Those of my readers who are curious in the matter will find the documents, with the minutes of the court-martial, set forth at length in the black-letter quarto of the " Ongeluckige Voyagie." W. J. G. CONTENTS. CHAP. PA.GB I. AT ANCHOR I Derrik brings the news — The first boy-colonist of New Holland — Francis Pelsart — Claes Gerrits. II. OUTWARD BOUND 10 The route — The conspiracy — Off to the Indies — The supercargo and the steward. III. THE TWO EAST INDIA COMPANIES . . . . 2 2 The colony projected — Houtman's ransom — Lancaster's voyage — The Dutch East India Company. IV. THE LITTLE WORLD 28 Under way — The passengers — The two minorities — Gysbert Bastians. V. EAVES-DROPPING 39 Sunday in the Channel — Conspirators in conference — Zeevanck's ditty — Derrik and Hays.

VI. RECRUITING 50 The swordfish — Heylwerck won over — Cornelis at work — Englishman's luck. CONTENTS. CHIP. PV01- vir. koopman's luck ■ ■ 63 The instruments of navigation— The storm — The scene between decks— The minister does his duty. VIII. tub disaster 7§ Lamberts hauls the bowline — Cornelis prepares — The wreck — Iloutmau's Abrolhos. IX. CORNELIS IN COMMAND 83 Do Scanis explores the island — A mutiny — Cornelis has a surprise — And disappears. X. HEYNDRICKS IN COMMAND IOI Cornells gone — Egberts volunteers — Pelsart clears the wreck — Heyudricks and tho supercargo's papers. XI. THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE . . . . .112 Sunday on the island— The water question — The demonstration — Pelsart's expedition. XII. DE SCANIS IN COMMAND 126 A peaceful reign— Hays — Heyndricks and the widow — The ship breaks up.

XIII. MANŒUVRING 145 The new scheme — The democracy — The cry for equality — The first public meeting. XIV. THE BROTHERLY BOND 1 60 The Pieters family — The apothecary and invisible ink — Another meeting — Signing tho bond. CONTENTS. XV CHAP. PAGK XV. MATCHMAKING I73 Liberty — Marriage and love — Lucretia makes mischief — The first victim. XVI. THE REIGN OF AGITATION 1 84 Decker's trial — First principles — ilore meetings — Hays and the Freuchmen sent away. XVII. BASTIANS TO THE RESCUE 1 95 A title required — Cornelis chosen Captain- General — The bond of election — The minister and his daughter. XVIII. nETNDRICKS BEARDS THE LION .... 2o6 The prisoners — Banishment of Derrik — The steward and the sentry — The Captain- General is defied. XIX. THE MASSACRE 217 Lucretia's bitter lesson — She poisons Heyndricks — The blow is struck — Escape of the prisoners.

XX. THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER 229 Square Island — Hays in command — The massacre on Overtheway — The capture of the stores. XXI. THE CEREMONIAL . . . . . -. . 24O The bond of indemnity — The public greeting of the Captain-General — His speech — His wedding. XXII. THE FIGHT FOR LIFE 2 3- Conrad's attack — A reconnaissance in force — The great battle — Zeevanck covers the retreat. CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. XXIIt, 265 THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL DOES NOT PROSPER A new policy — Tho deserter — The Frenchmen staunch — Cornelis is captured. XXIV. AT LAST .... .... 2S0 Lucretia in command — A ship in sight — Hays equal to tho occasion — The pirates entrapped. XXV. THE FATE OF THE WOMEN 288 Pelsart's boat voyage — The merry-making on Batavia's Grave — The tragedy of the night — Lucietia cheats her captors. XXVI. THE FATE OF THE MEN 298 The court-martial — The sentence of death — A father's blessing — The last of the Captain- General.

CHAFTER I. AT ANCIsOK. It was an October afternoon, misty, grey, and chill. The sun lay low in the sky, a pale, watery disc, peer ing through a veil, and the mere phantom of its summer self. The Zuyder Zee rolled lazily and wearily, with unequal effort, as if each oily, ashen wave were the sport of a different wind, and broke only in bursts of petulance. There were no brisk white horses, and the tangled strings and slakes of foam were few and far apart. The wide stretch of restless water was bounded by the distant land, but the movement of the waves seemed less and less as they neared it, and no streak of brightness marked the boundary. A fleet was riding at anchor iu the shelter of the Texei. By the island shore the ships lay close ; and far away to the south-westward, just under the sun, B another group of masts and patches of slowly gliding sail betrayed the whereabouts of Enkhuizen and the narrowing entrance to the South Sea, properly so called, for Zuyder is but Dutch for south.

There were eleven ships in the fleet off Oude Schild to which the boats from the shore went to and fro the oftenest. These were flying tbe flag of the Dutch East India Company, and were evidently outward bound. Solid and clumsy they were, but pleasantly picturesque, gaudily painted with much green and white, high in the stern, low in the bow, and of a rig long passed away and only recognizable in survivals. A lugger, reaching in from the North Sea round Eierland and past Oostereinde, brought to as she passed through the fleet ; and signals were made from her to the shore boats returning empty. One of the shore boats answered the hail, pulled alongside, and took a passenger, and as she sheered off the lugger launched her own boat, which went away at top speed towards the town. " To the Batavia," said the passenger, a swarthy looking boy of fifteen, wrapped in a thick blue cloak.

And the boatman headed straight for the flagship, which lay a little away from the rest. Passing the Dordrecht and Asscndcl/t, the boat was soon alongside the biggest of the Indiamen, and the boy briskly mounted the short rope ladder and asked to be taken immediately to Captain Pelsart. " What name ? " asked the guard at the gangway, looking suspiciously at the blue cloak, which might be covering a prince's velvet or a pauper's rags. " Derrik " " From whom ? " " Urgent news from France, tell the captain." A black boy, a very black boy, passing at the moment, was sent to the cabin with the message, and in a minute or two returned. Holding the cloak tightly round him, so as to hide everything but his feet, Derrik followed his guide, and was ushered into the presence of the great man he sought.

He made a most elaborate and lengthy bow ; the captain acknowledged the prolonged salute with a very slight and distant nod ; the negro shut the cabin door, and as it clicked Derrik threw off the cloak, and stood revealed, an ordinary sailor boy, wearing nothing but a shabby shirt and trousers and a formidable pair of boots. " I have a letter, mynheer, from Monsieur Guitton. I come direct from La Eochelle " " What does Monsieur Guitton want with me ?" asked the captain, opening the letter. " Only to help me, sir." B " So it seems. But what is your urgent news ? " " La Rochelle fell, starved out, nine days ago, Satur day week, the 18th of October." " What ? " said Pelsart, with a start ; " did then the English do nothing ? " " Nothing ! King Charles sent Admiral Pennington to block up the harbour to help Richelieu, and the men mutinied.

Then the King ordered him to consign his own ship to the French Admiral, and enter the service of King Louis ; and every man deserted and joined us in La Rochelle. Then King Charles changed sides, and sent a Duke named Buckingham to help us, who did nothing, and left us. Then Buckingham was coming again to do nothing, when some one put a knife into him at Portsmouth and rid the world of an im postor. Then an Earl of Lindsey came and stayed outside till Monsieur Guitton had no food to give the people, and he had to yield, not to King Louis or Cardinal Picbelieu, but to General Starvation." " Then La Eocbelle has gone, and the Protestant cause in France is lost. Now, who are you ? " " My name is Jan Derrik. My father and mother are dead. My uncle, Maurice Pieters of Haarlem, sent me off to La Eochelle a year ago, telling me he was glad to get rid of me, and wanted to see my face no more.

He sent me to his brother, Luycas Pieters, who lived next to your father's house at Antwerp. Luycas Pieters was a good friend to me. At La Eochelle he was in command of the Hill Battery, and was shot. When he was dying he asked Monsieur Guitton to look after me, and told him I had no friends, and it would be better for me, for many reasons, not to go back to Haarlem. On the day of the surrender I heard of your expedition to the new land, and I found Monsieur Guitton, and asked him for that letter. I escaped through the French lines over the breakwater of piles that the Cardinal made to shut out the English. I was picked up by a lugger, which has just brought me here. And I ask two favours of you. I hope, mynheer, the letter will incline you to grant my requests." " What are they ?" "First, that you let me join the Batavia.

Second " "Second— what?" " That you give me enough wages on account to pay the boatman who has brought me in the lugger. For I am moneyless." " The request is not modest, but the reason is a just one. I can make a place for you, but your tongue seems to run too fast to promise faithful service. However, for your uncle's sake and Monsieur Guitton's, I will risk it. As to wages, I am not used to make advances to boys : but to that as a gift you are welcome ; " and the captain put a florin on the table very carefully, and after a good look at it to see that he had made no mistake. " Did you pay for your passage in the lugger ?" " Yes, mynheer, I had a little money with me when I got away, but the old man did not think it enough, so I kept my boots and my hat and exchanged the rest of my clothes for these things, and that paid the debt."

Captain Pelsart looked straight at Derrik as if he doubted him, but as he met the boy's eyes his look changed. " You paid your debt !" he said. "It is well ;" and then, with another look at the boy, he rose and unlocked a drawer, and, after much fumbling, took out twelve florins, one by one, and turned them over as he counted them. As he locked the drawer again with one hand, with the other he held out the money, saying as he did so : " Your news is worth your passage money. Get clothes suited to your place, clothes that will last, for the voyage will be long. Tell the sentry at the door I want him." Derrik's thanks were genuine, but soon said, and he lost no time in bringing in the sentry. " Pass the word for Abraham," said the captain. The soldier had not been gone half a minute before the black boy appeared.

" Oh, Abraham," said Pelsart, " take this lad to Mynheer de Scanis, and " But here came a knock at the door and an officer entered. " Come on board, sir," said the new comer, turning to go, as he said so. " Oh ! that is better. All right, Abraham, you can go. Mynheer Gerrits, one minute. Here is a boy who will be of use to you. He is the nephew of an old friend of mine, and has just come from La Rochelle, which has gone at last to the Cardinal — as you will not be pleased to hear. He will tell you about it. Give him something to do. Enter him as a Oh, Derrik, did you want to join the ship or the colony ?" " I thought the colony, sir, but " "But what ?" asked Pelsart. " I will leave it to you, sir." " Choose for yourself," was the reply. " I have said you shall go, and you shall go. You can if you like be the first boy colonist of New Holland, which will be the finest country in the world if all gees we1! for us ; or you can be a boy on the ship that takes the first colonists there.

In any case you may be immortal !— which is it to be ? Misery on land, or misery on water ? " "I think I would like my misery on land, mynheer." " Then Mynheer Gerrits will see you do not get too much misery on water. And if you are a good boy you may have a chance of changing your opinion.''' And at a sign from Mr. Gerrits, Derrik followed him from the captain's cabin. There was not much resemblance between the Captain and his fourth in command, for such the officer proved to be. They were dressed alike, it is true, in buff coat, and baggy brown breeches, and tall, white felt hat with no brim to speak of ; but Pelsart was a slightly built man of five feet five or there abouts, while Claes, as he was familiarly called, was quite a head and a half taller, with massive shoulders and powerful neck ; and, while Pelsart was dark and clean shaven, the other sported a heavy yellow beard and moustache, with the ends brushed outwards and upwards, so as to make the most of them. ' ' You had better say you'll join the ship," said the fair-haired giant, stooping, as he led the way to the main deck.

" You will have the same work as if you did, and you'll get better paid. You'll be every body's drudge and nobody's master. If you want to stay behind in the end it will make no difference." The advice was evidently given in good faith, and in a few minutes " Jan Derrik van Rochel" was duly entered as a "jongen," or boy, in the list of the crew of the Batavia. His first duty was to tell the news from La Rochelle to Mr. Gerrits and Mr de Scanis, who had come up to listen. This did not take long, as neither of the officers had much time to spare. When they were moving away, Derrik asked what he was to do about his clothes. "Oh!" said Gerrits, "there'll be a boat going ashore in a few minutes. You can go in her j and I'll send somebody with you."

Chapter II

0CT1VAKD BOUND. Commodore Pelsart sat in his cabin looking over a batch of official papers just come to him by special messenger from Amsterdam. Putting on one side the Articles of War — the Artykelbriefs, approved by the Stadtholder, Frederick Henry of Orange, and thus, sanctioned by the State, become the laws of the voyage, in accordance with which, in the little king dom of the fleet, justice was to be administered — he unfolded his sailing instructions. " The Cape of Good Hope being doubled," he read, " it is thought good that you sail in an easterly direction between 36 and 39 south latitude until you have reached a point eight hundred miles east of the Cape of Good Hope ; that you then direct your course as much north as east, in such a manner that on reach ing 30 south latitude you should find yourself about nine hundred and fifty or one thousand miles from the Cape of Good Hope."

" That," said Pelsart, " is as usual ; what else ? " " These nine hundred and fifty or one thousand miles from the Cape of Good Hope," he continued, " being attained, it is advisable that you bear down upon the Land of Endraght at 27 degrees of south latitude, or more to the north, so as to take thence such a course as will enable you to clear Houtman's Abrolhos in about 20 degrees south latitude without danger." " Better give them a wide berth ! " murmured Pelsart to himself. " If all that is said of them is true, they are the greatest dangers in our course ! Ah ! Here is the caution ! " and he read on : "The Land of Endraght lies south of 27 degrees south latitude. It has many perilous sandbanks, and the soundings are hard rock ; consequently, extreme caution is thereabouts necessary, and constant use of the lead."

" That's a cheerful look out," said he, interrupting his reading. " However " " The distance," he went on, flattening out the paper on the table — " the distance between the Cape of Good Hope and the Land of Endraght is probably much shorter than is shown on the chart, and by the aid of the currents, which are reported to be irregular in force and direction, the route may be found shorter, so that laud may be reached in much less time than you may be led to anticipate." " That is vague enough, as usual ; it is here, so that whatever happens the company may say, We told you so. It means a constant look out night and day from the Cape." " You will then — " he began to read on, but he suddenly pushed the paper away from him. " Ah ! That is the clause I saw in draft. Enough ! We must get all on board to-night, and start first tide to-morrow.

With caution and care all will go well. There never was a better ship or a better crew. Would I could say the same of the rest of the fleet ! " Folding up the papers, and putting them away in their proper place — a methodic man was Pelsart, and unused to trust to others what he could do himself — he went to the cabin door. " Signal to the Dordrecht," he ordered, " and ask if the captain is aboard yet." " They are just signalling that her captain has started for the Batavia, sir." " Very well ; then signal to the Assendelft that I shall visit Captain Vlack in half an hour." " Ay, ay, sir." And the signal was made in effective fashion by simply chalking on a black board, for flag code then there was not — Kempenfeldt, Popham, and Marryat were to come. The little commodore stepped on to the lofty poop, and, standing by the shrouds of the tiny mizen-mast, looked away to the town, at ease in his own mind that in his ship at least all would be well.

Had he heard what was going on in the back room of " The Thirsty Soul " — the nearest of the Oude Schild inns — he would assuredly have altered his opinion. A much-becurtained house was " The Thirsty Soul ; " trim aud tidy, but not a door or window was there in it which had not been bent into a curve. It looked as though the whole fabric had become soft in the sun, and then been saved from dissolution by a sudden gust of cold. It might have been the crooked house of the crooked man with the crooked sixpence. The roof sagged, the front bulged, the sides curved ; and yet the house stood squarely enough — a white painted, green-lined gem of cleanliness, the very last place in the world from which the stranger would expect to hear the snatch of a sailor's drinking song. And yet its front room was full of seamen, in the amplest of jerseys, the baggiest of breeches, and the biggest of boots ; all of them intent on the business of the hour, to drink any given quantity in a given time, and roar forth in full power of lung, and yet melodiously, the popular song of the day.

Little comfort would it have given to the sorrowing relatives who had stood by the Weepers' Tower on the quay at Amsterdam, and bidden good-bye to the colonists, to have heard the uproarious jollity of those to whose steadiness they had entrusted their lives. But the unpromising state of things might have been much worse — that is, as far as appearances went. But as a matter of fact nothing could be worse than things really were. For Pelsart was to be the victim of a so-called " no monopoly " conspiracy, and the chief of the conspirators, who were to sail with him and mature their plans in his very presence when out at sea, was his second in command, the supercargo Jerome Cornelis, then taking his ease in the back room of " The Thirsty Soul." These men in the front room were but the catspaws, the tools to be eventually thrown aside by the cynical, unscrupulous, philosophic schemer, who would use them to help him to fortune and power.

Cheerily enough they sang, and free enough from mischief were their thoughts, as in deep jovial baritone they rolled out the burden : Como and take a drink, boys, Come aud take a drink 1 Drink and take an old man's war-ar-niug I Your ship is outward bound Where no drink like this is found, And you'll have to try another in tho mor-or-ning. This is very old in wood, And it's mellow and it's good, With the ruddy bloom its cheery face ador-orning. Tou may never come ashore To try it any more, For you're off to the Indies in the mor-or-ning. And the " Off to the Indies," fortissimo, made the room ring again. " Yes " said the bushy-browed supercargo, taking a long whiff from his pipe, and stroking the wiry black beard cut short round his chin — " yes, off to the Indies in the morning — but they won't get there under Francis Pelsart !

" " Not they," said his companion, Heyndricks the steward — " not they ; and they know it. But let them sing ! Let the Company's agent listen ; it'll do him good ! Company, indeed ! What business have they with so much money ? It is a charity to all honest citizens to take some of it away from them ! " " They stole it from somebody, I suppose," said Cornelis. " And we'll steal it from them ! " announced Heyndricks. " Well, not steal," said Cornelis ; " we don't steal — ■ we take. There's a difference between stealing and taking." " Of course — of course," said the steward j " there's a difference. When you give a man physic from your apothecary's shop in Haarlem, he takes it, he doesn't steal it, does he ? " " Well, no," answered the supercargo ; " but " " But ! What about ' but ' ? " interrupted the steward.

" The Company's got the proper sort of physic for us ; we won't steal it only, we'll steal it and take it. And it's the proper sort of physic, Jerome, better than what you sold. It's good for all men ; it doesn't cut them off when they are in the way. Does it ? " " What do you mean, man ? " " Mean ! I don't mean anything. But there are caps that may fit, eh ? Never mind, mynheer, I'm with you, and I'll never leave you. But don't you be too clever. My share's half yours, half what you get, you see ; and if that's right I'm the best friend you've got. There'll be two hundred and fifty folks aboard the Batavia all told. That's a lot to look after ! You'll want a friend or two. There's a preacher who will require some managing. " Preacher ! What preacher ! " " Bastians of Alkmaar. He's gone aboard just now with his daughter."

" Exported as a failure or a spy ? Which ? " " That's for you to discover. There are five French soldiers joined now. And they'll stand up for Pelsart to the last." "Well, we've got a nice little knot to begin with. The crew is well salted. There's Conrad— I chose him." " Yes, you did. And so you did those fellows in the front room who are off to the Indies again — that's about the eighth time they've been off this afternoon — and there's Jan and his gang aboard. Say two dozen in all, that's your following; but it isn't enough — not nearly enough." " No, not yet, but we'll soon make it more when we get to sea. And then hey for Dunkirk or Barbary, and a profitable cruise ! " " Ay ! Hey for Barbary and a craft of our own ! It is the counter-changeabout to old Hermansoon's." " And what of him ?

" " Why, not so long ago, when you were poisoning the good folks " " Now, Heyndricks, I will not have my profes sional " " Of course — of course ; no offence meant. When you were an innocent apothecary we were off the Straits of Gibraltar in chase of corsairs. We had taken four, when old Hermansoon, who was then on the infidel side, ran up and coolly tried to walk away with one of our prizes. But the Christian slave who was steering ran his ship on to us, and jumped aboard with several c other slaves. Whereupon Hermansoon took the bull by the horns and followed them, and appealed to the Admiral to hand them back. ' Not I,' said the Admiral ; ' why you ought to be ashamed of yourself sailing in such company. If you had any sense in you, you would join us ! ' ' And so I will ! ' said Hermansoon ; and thereupon he changed sides and became a good Dutchman again."

" Sensible man ! And shared in the money for the prizes already won, I suppose ? " " Just so ; he helped to keep them you see ! " " Well, when we've got hold of the Batavia we'll help to keep her, and be good Dutchmen. No monopoly, say I." " Of course — of course. No monopoly ! Except in the Batavia ! " "Well, we must draw the line somewhere." " Yes ; draw it at that. What's theirs is ours ; but what is ours is our own." "That's what I say, Heyndricks. All men are equal — until you get out of the crowd. Everything ought to be in common — until we can get a bi^er share than any one else for ourselves." And as if to echo the sentiment there came from the front room a particularly vigorous burst of Come and take a drink, boys, Come and take a drink ! Drink, and take an old man's war-ar-ning !

We're as good as one another, And every man's a brother — Until we go to quarters in the mor-or-ning! " Bah ! Let us be going. It's about time they stopped that noise now," said the supercargo, knock ing the ashes out of his pipe ; " you pay the score, Heyndricks." And, leaving the bulky steward to follow as he liked, Cornelis went into the front room. Lifting his hand at the end of a stanza of the never ending " Off to the Indies," he procured a moment's silence. " Now, my lads," said he, " all aboard's the w-ord, and the sooner the better. Those who don't come now will be left behind, aud lose the best chance they ever had of making a fortune." As he went out on to the strand he saw one of the Batavia's boats come ashore, with one of the soldiers and a boy in a blue cloak as her only passengers.