The terrifying true story of the Batavia shipwreck | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website this episode describes acts of violence
against men women and children it won't be suitable for all listeners during the
17th century the Netherlands became one of the world's foremost economic powers thanks to its advances in science art
and commercial trade then known as the Dutch Republic it's wealth and power flourished through the importing of
goods from overseas with huge ships sent to Asia and Africa to bring back textiles teas grains and spices a
popular proverb among the Dutch during this period was Jesus Christ is good but trade is better the Dutch East India
Company known in its homeland as the V OC was a chartered company established to coordinate trade in India and other
countries throughout Southeast Asia monopolizing all trade to the East had boasted tens of thousands of employees
and its own private army ships operating under its license were enormous vessels
called East Indiaman built to carry large amounts of cargo as well as passengers and equipped with cannons and
gunners in case pirates launched an attack due to their size and weight these ships moved slowly at an average
speed of five knots per hour and typically took eight months to complete a voyage
in 1628 the vo si commissioned the construction of an expensive new flagship to travel to the company's
major trade settlement of Batavia located in what is today the city of Jakarta in Java Indonesia named after
its destination the Batavia was a grand vessel that was built in just six months
at the exorbitant cost of 100,000 guilders more than 4.5 million Australian dollars in today's currency
the approximately 55 meter tall and 56 meter long ship was made of oak and featured four decks three masts and 30
guns and had the capacity to carry 600 tons of suppliers that supper works were painted pale green with gold and red
detailing and its figurehead a wooden carving positioned at the bow was a lion leaping upwards in late October 1628 the
Batavia set sail from Amsterdam with a fleet of seven other ships carrying 341 people who ranged from BOC officials
sailors and soldiers to relatively well-off passengers travelling with their families a number of the younger
passengers were cabin boys ranging from children to adolescents who were employed on the ship to wait on others
the Batavia was also packed with valuable cargo including stone to build factories with silverware jewels and a
fortune in coins that would amount to almost 41 million Australian dollars in today's currency
life on the ship was harsh perilous and unpleasant sleeping borders were cramped
and barrels of drinking water were contaminated with worms and algae outbreaks of infectious than to
nutritional deficiency diseases were common resulting in the deaths of ten passengers 27 year old passenger
Lucretia yarns was traveling from her home city of Amsterdam to be reunited with her husband he was an employee of
the V OC and had left the work in the company's Batavia settlement several years earlier shortly after his
departure the couple's three young children all contracted a disease and died it was unusual for a merchants wife
to follow her husband overseas but Lucretia was heartbroken and lonely she was born into wealth and occupied a
higher social status resulting in her traveling on the batavia with a maid and having her own private cabin Lucretia
who was regarded as exceptionally beautiful consistently rebuffed unwanted attention from a number of men
throughout the long voyage on the evening of May 14 Lucretia was preparing to retire for the night as she made her
way back to her sleeping quarters she was confronted by eight men wearing masks though she couldn't see their
faces they spoke to one another and she heard their voices the masked assailants
dragged to Lucretia to a quiet corner on the ship's deck where they reached under her skirt to
grope her and smeared her face legs and genitals with tar and animal dung the assault was over in a matter of seconds
[Music] [Music] [Music] word of Lucretia Yuans assault reached the Batavia Scamander upper merchant
Francisco pelsaert who began investigating the matter upper merchants were vo C officials who were
assigned to overall responsibility for a particular fleet their task was to ensure the voyage would be profitable
for the company's directors second-in-command was the ship's captain followed by the upper merchants deputy
known as the under merchant francisco pelsaert was aged in his early 30s and was a
longtime v OC employee having already completed a seven-year posting in India despite his experience he was indecisive
and lacked leadership skills his command on the Batavia had been difficult at times as he often clashed with the
ship's captain Arian Yakov's aged in his mid-40s jakub's was a masterful sailor who had completed many voyages but he
was bad-tempered struggled with a drinking problem and was known to harass female passengers pelsaert
and yak herbs had first met more than a year earlier when both were in India and
grew to dislike one another after an altercation that occurred there during the Batavia voyage matters came to a
head on April 14 16 29 when the ship stopped near the South African city of Cape Town to restock supplies but this
stage that weather had caused the Batavia to separate from all but two other ships in at seven vessel flee
while Commander pelsaert was on land bartering for goods captain Yakov's with the out permission
rowed out in a small boat to visit the accompanying ships while on board he got drunk and violent resulting in a fire
by the time pelsaert returned to the Batavia official complaints had been lodged against his captain pelsaert
reprimanded Yaakov's which led to the humiliated yakov's deeply resented his superior pelsaert
continued looking into the group assault against Lucretia yards though the perpetrators had concealed their faces
Lucretia recognized the voice of one individual and identified him as yarn-overs the ship's bosun a title
given to the senior officer in charge of the Batavia 'he's dak pelsaert also suspected captain Yaakov's was somehow
involved and was mindful that the captain had attempted to seduce Lucretia on several occasions but she rejected
him despite pelsaert suspicions he knew arresting both Davidson jakub's would displace the crew so he postponed any
further action until they arrived at their destination when captain yeah curbs had deserted the
Batavia at Cape Town to visit its companionships he was joined by commander pelsaert deputy an under
merchant named euronymous Cornelius 30-year old Cornelius was from a well-off educated
family who belonged to the nonconformist and about this church a denomination considered controversial in the Dutch
Republic Cornelius followed in his father's footsteps and became an apothecary preparing and selling medicines through
his own shop in the Dutch city of Harlem in November 16:27 Cornelius and his wife
had a baby boy who was placed in the care of a wet nurse after his mother became ill within several weeks the
infant had contracted syphilis from the nurses breast milk and died as syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease
this caused the significant scandal in an effort to save his wife's reputation Cornelius filed a lawsuit against the
wet nurse though the incident destroyed his career and he found himself unable to pay a number of deaths
moreover Cornelius was an associate and disciple of infamous painter johannes Terentius who was convicted on charges
of heresy blasphemy atheism and Satanism in 1628 fearful that he would be prosecuted next
Cornelius left his wife and fled to Amsterdam where he took service with the vo C and was posted to the Batavia he
quickly formed a friendship with captain re and Yakov's who made his disdain for
commander francisco pelsaert clear by remarking that were it not for the presence of other ships in the fleet
quote I would treat that miserly dog so that he could not come out of his cabin for 14 days and I would quickly make
myself master of the ship in response Cornelius asked jakub's and how would you manage that
Cornelius did not Harbor the same personal resentment against pelsaert but was eager to take charge of the Batavia
and steal the substantial fortune stored on the ship the pair plotted a mutiny a
form of unlawful rebellion in which the crew of a ship overthrow their leader morale amidst the Batavia screw was low
due to the poor conditions and awful treatment they enjoyed all for a low pay a few were convinced to join in the
mutiny including bosun Jana votes several cadets a lance corporal and some of his soldiers in order for their plot
to work they needed to isolate the Batavia by steering it away from its remaining fleet Captain Yakov's achieved
this when the ship encountered a storm shortly after sailing away from South Africa's Cape of Good Hope as it wasn't
uncommon for ships within a fleet to become separated this did not arouse any suspicion
despite successfully isolating the Batavia Cornelius and yakov's group of mutineers was too small to stage a
successful mutiny so they schemed to turn more men against commander Pulsar while disguised they
would attack passenger Lucretia yarns whom pelsaert harbored romantic feelings for in response pelsaert would then
discipline all of the ship soldiers and sailors enraging those punished and recruiting them to their cause however
their plan failed when pelsaert did not take punitive measures against anybody for the assault on Lucretia the
mutineers speculated that he was just biding his time and intended to take action once their route took them past
the Australian mainland then uncharted landmass known as terror Australia's incognita the unknown Southland
they quickly put together a new plan agreeing that as soon as pelsaert made any arrests for Lucretia's assault the
mutineers would enter his cabin at night and throw him overboard they would then
recruit 120 men to run this ship through all remaining passengers into the ocean
and turned to piracy they planned to sail the Indian Ocean disguised as a vo sea ship before
retiring in a far-off land with their stolen loot over the next few weeks the mutineers waited patiently for the
signal that it was time to revolt during this period ships traveling from Europe
to Asia used strong westerly winds in the southern hemisphere named the roaring 40s to speed east after
leaving the Cape of Good Hope these winds sent them towards the west coast of Australia very quickly but as there
was no accurate way to measure longitude crews had to gauge when it was time to steer north from sight and experience
alone if they made a mistake and kept sailing east they ran the risk of hitting the Australian mainland June 16
2013 8 month at sea by the early morning of June 4 it had been three weeks since
Lucretia yarns had been assaulted by the mutineers and the Batavia was making use
of the roaring 40s it was a clear night and the moon provided ample light to see
by shortly after 3 a.m. Commander pelsaert was violently thrown from his bed following a rough terrible
movement he ran out to the deck and upon seeing that the ship had run directly into an enormous coral reef he shouted
at captain Yakov's what have you done that through your reckless carelessness you have run this noose around our necks
jakub's claimed the accident was not his fault stating that he had sighted surf spray breaking against the reef from a
distance but the ship's lookout insisted it was nothing more than the moon's reflection on the water
as it was unclear whether the tide was high or low the crew wondered whether they might have simply run aground in
shallows and would be able to float back out to sea once the water level rose but
after waiting several hours it became clear that the collision had taken place at high tide falling water levels
revealed they were surrounded by rocks reefs and small islands the impact had careened the ship half out of the ocean
with sharp coral tearing away its rudder and gouging its timber sides several frightened individuals jumped overboard
and either drowned or were pierced by the sharp coral below the crew began discarding cannons and the Gunners to
lighten the Batavia slowed and just after dawn they cut its main mast down as well
historians would later determined that the Batavia struck a shoal called the morning reef in the northernmost cluster
of the ax braless a network of 122 barren windswept islands and associated coral reefs in the Indian Ocean they are
located roughly 60 kilometers west of what is today the city of Geraldton in Western Australia there are three
distinct groups of islands all of which have little in the way of vegetation or wildlife aside from a few sea lions and
birds seven hours after the collision as preparations were underway to safely relocate Batavia spaß injures the ship
burst open below the waterline and its hold began filling with water the ship's crew began rowing the passengers away in
the Batavia longboat an open vessel capable of holding 40 people and its you're a sailboat that could carry 23
they were set down on an island about two kilometres from the shipwreck it was a tiny hard and flat landmass with no
vegetation sand or shelter broken and sharp coral pieces lay all over the ground making it difficult to walk on by
add asked a number of people had been transferred to the island including all of the women and children 150 points of
drinking water barrels of wine meat and bread and a casket full of valuable trade goods such as jewelry gold and
precious stones were also transported to land rescue work paused that night when
it became too dark to see roughly 120 people still remained on the slowly crumbling Batavia
at dawn the following morning efforts to retrieve those still stranded on the batavia recommenced the small island
closest to the ship became overcrowded so 180 men women and children were moved to a larger landmass roughly 800 metres
away that had a sandy beach they were given a limited supply of food while Commander pelsaert captain yeah curbs
all of the senior BOC company officials a number of sailors two women and one infant remained on the smaller island
with the longboat and your commander pelsaert was convinced to travel to the Australian mainland to find suppliers as
the journey would require a couple of days preparation he opted to explore other nearby islands in the meantime
before departing on their expedition pelsaert and some of his companions rode over to the larger islands where the
majority of survivors were now stationed to give them a barrel of drinking water
and explain their plans as they approached the survivors gathered together on the shoreline fearful that
they would be mobbed and prevented from leaving the men rowing refused to stop and a wooden allow pelsaert to deliver
the water pelsaert continued north to inspect the two largest islands in their vicinity where he dug for water but
found none he returned to his camp on the small inlet nearest the Batavia and on June 8th four days after the
shipwreck departed for the Australian mainland he left behind a note explaining his actions and ordered his
crewmen to sign an oath confirming that their mission was to search for water they set sail in Batavia as the longboat
with the smaller y'all tied to the back the longboat was designed to carry 40 people but as no one from pelsaert
Island wanted to be left behind it held 48 in total they left all the ships recovered
jewels and coins behind the group sailed north along the Western Australian coast
the barren land was framed by jagged cliffs that soared up to 228 meters higher on several occasions they managed
to row to a shoreline and succeeded in collecting rainwater but never found a permanent freshwater supplier after
sailing for a week without success it was decided that they should continue on to their original destination of Batavia
in Indonesia to seek rescue assistance from the vo sea upon learning of Commander pelsaert departure the knee
200 survivors on the big island were left devastated they accused their leader of abandoning them and dumped the
small Inlet where pelsaert had camped traders Island their own Island which measured 270 metres wide and half a
kilometre long was named Batavia scrod historian Mike - described it as a strip of coral rubble where the only living
thing was the wind the shipwreck survivors are landed there at the beginning of the southern hemispheres
winter which regularly battered the area with storms and fierce gales of those stranded on Batavia is graveyard at
least 100 were vo sea soldiers or sailors one more than a dozen others were men with trade experience such as
carpenters and blacksmiths there were 21 women the majority of whom were wives of the crew a number of
teenagers and children and two infants who were born during the voyage most of the populations food and two water
suppliers were depleted within a day and anxieties only increased when commander
pelsaert sailed away with the other vo sea officials some survivors were driven to
drinking seawater or their own urine while 10 people died from dehydration it finally rained on the 6th and 7th days
of their ordeal allowing them to collect a valuable drinking water meanwhile 70 men had chosen to stay on the Batavia
including mutineer Euronymous Cornelius they pillaged suppliers and helped themselves to food and alcohol when the
ship started flooding and breaking apart it became harder and harder for them to
find safe dry places some jumped overboard attempting to wear the float or swim to safety most failed with 40
people drowning as a result On June 12 one week after the collision the ship collapsed completely
just as its hull started disintegrating Cornelius jumped from the deck and grasp onto a
pole from a mast that had already landed in the ocean clutching it he floated towards the shallows spending two days
in the water before reaching Batavia is graveyard by this time the survivors had created a
functioning camp on the northeast portion of the island as the ship collapsed more supplies into useful
wreckage kept washing up tents were crafted from canvas and mast poles driftwood was used for fires and barrels
of wine water and vinegar had also been recovered the survivors hunted sea lions
and birds for food decimating the wildlife population within a week Cornelius was taken to a dry area given
a meal and a change of clothes as well as a bed to sleep in prior to his arrival a small Council had been
established tasked with governing the islands population the role of council leader was initially given to the only
survivor with any semblance of rank a surgeon who was popular with the ship's crew but lacked experience in command
as commander pelsaert deputy Cornelius had a Rankin status that no one else present could claim and he was
immediately elected to late the council Cornelius enjoyed the authority he was granted but was concerned that the large
number of survivors would drain the islands resources and to become a threat to his own survival his worries
increased when one of the young men who had been recruited for the Intendant mutiny on the Batavia started revealing
details of the plot to others because he was angry captain yakov's left him behind he didn't share that Cornelius
had also been involved the Cornelius was unnerved nonetheless if word spread that
he had been part of a scheme to seize control of a BOC ship there was a chance he would be arrested and tried for
treason when help arrived as such Cornelius began plotting another mutiny he believed that if he had a group of
loyal supporters he would be able to overpower any rescuers and commandeer their vessel to assume a life of piracy
he was known to be a charismatic and well-spoken individual and by late June he had successfully recruited two dozen
men including some of the original mutineers as well as Army Cadets he then stockpiled all of the swords
daggers and muskets that had been saved from the ship keeping them in a single storage area that he controlled he sent
some of his men out on scouting missions to other islands to determine whether survival elsewhere would be possible
using boats crafted from the ship's wreckage the men inspected several islands including the two large ones
commander pelsaert had already visited which were given the collective name of the Highland due to a hill that rose
from the smaller of the two they found two no drinking water and a little in the way of food
despite this Cornelius proclaimed that his men had discovered decent resources elsewhere and announced that some people
would be moved to other islands so that Batavia is graveyard wouldn't be overwhelmed he promised that that their
supplies would be replenished as needed 40 men women and children were transported to an island to the west
dubbed seals island 15 others were sent to the small Inlet that once harbored commander pelsaert and to the other vo
sea officials traders Island then Cornelius announced that a third group comprised that 20 soldiers would also be
sent away to source drinking water from the Highland he told the soldiers to send a smoke signals once they found
water and someone would come to collect them in actual fact his plan was to remove the most threatening soldiers who
were loyal to the vo sea by marooning them on the islands that were farthest away by dispatching these three groups
Cornelius successfully cut the population of Batavia graveyard by 1/3 and removed nearly four dozen strong
able-bodied men from his island Cornelius's next plan was to overhaul the council as other members could vote
against any of his decisions that they didn't agree with an opportunity arose on July 4 exactly one month after the
Batavia struck the reef Cornelius was informed that a soldier had been stealing wine from a storage tent and
sharing it with a friend although the involvement of the second accused was difficult to prove Cornelius
sentenced the both men to die knowing his fellow councillors would object in response to their outcry he dissolved
the council gaining absolute power over the 130 plus people on Batavia is graveyard
the next day cornelius replaced the ousted council members with three of his most
loyal followers their first act was to carry out the execution of the 2-1 thieves the soldier was killed but his
friends fate is unknown with some speculating that he escaped to another island that same day Cornelius accused
the two carpenters of planning to sail away on a makeshift the raft within hours both men were executed but two of
Cornelius's mutineers one later boasted that he sword went through his victim quote as easily as butter
Cornelius ordered the killings under the guise of law enforcement as he was vastly outnumbered by the islands
population and couldn't risk an uprising days passed and the soldiers sent to the
Highland in search of resources had yet to release any smoke signals Cornelius declared that several parties
of three to four individuals would be dispatched to assist them the first group consisting of two
soldiers and two sailors were escorted to the Highlander via boat but David zavok
a member of Cornelius's hand-picked Council as soon as they were out of sight as a bank and his crew of six
mutineers launched an attack they bound three of their passengers by the wrists and ankles then threw them overboard
the remaining passenger was given mercy on the condition he swear allegiance to Cornelius two days later the same trap
was used again to drown two more men Hans Hardin's had been traveling on the Batavia with his wife Anakin and their
six-year-old daughter Hill a train he had submitted to Cornelius likely to ensure provisions for his family
uncertain as to whether he could trust Hans Cornelius carried out a test of his loyalty on July a he invited Hans and
his wife to join him for a meal in his private 10 meanwhile a mutineer crept into the Hardin's family tank and
strangled six-year-old hillier train to death she was one of nine people who had
been murdered under Cornelius's rule so far and afterwards Hans Hardin's signed a loyalty oath to
the mutineers private webby haze was leading the soldiers searching for resources on the
Highland little is known of his background but he was a skilled fighter and a natural leader the group found
nothing substantial on the smaller of the two islands after several days they explored the second larger island it was
separated from the first by a one and a half kilometre sand bank that appeared at low tide this island was far more
abundant in wildlife than any of the others the survivors had encountered it was populated by Wallabies snakes and
birds and there were numerous fishing spots but they struggled to find a freshwater supply
subsisting on rainwater birds eggs Wallabies and fish they explored the area more thoroughly than any of the
earlier groups had done on July 9 they discovered two natural wells hidden beneath slabs of limestone a sedimentary
rock that typically forms in shallow marine waters one of the wells was three metres deep and full of fresh water they
hastily lit three fires to alert the survivors to the south of their crucial discovery
the 15 people stationed on traders Island noticed the smoke signals right away they quickly boarded their two
makeshift the boats and began rowing towards the Highland on Batavia is graveyard
Cornelius initially ignored the smoke signals until he noticed the two traitors Island boats heading in their
direction he ordered his men to attack and two of his most trusted followers David's a van and corn rat van heissen
jumped into a boat with five other mutineers to pursue them they caught up to the traders Island survivors and
ordered them to stop before boarding their vessels the passengers consisting mostly of soldiers and sailors but also
three women and two children were forced to surrender several jumped into the ocean to escape
only to drown the rest were taken back to the Tobias graveyard David's even raced over to consult with
Cornelius he then ran back towards the shallows where the captives were being held crying out kill Cornelius's men
stabbed both children and all of the men before rowing the three women out to sea
and throwing them overboard the massacre took place in full view of witnesses making it the first time that many of
the survivors realized the true nature of the man who was leading them the makers of the quip electric toothbrush
wants you to know the one single thing that matters most for your dental care that's simply this if you have good
habits then you're all good that means brushing for two minutes twice a day and flossing regularly no
matter what brand you use quip makes it easy to stick to that routine starting with an electric toothbrush refillable
floss ingenta cavity toothpaste quips electric brush has sensitive sonic vibrations with a built-in timer and
30-second pulses to ensure you get a full and even clean there's also a kid's brush so little ones can develop healthy
habits to the quip floss dispenser comes with pre marked string to help you use just enough plus they deliver fresh
brush heads floss and toothpaste the refills to your door every three months apply our free shipping to keep you on
track join over 3 million healthy mouths and to get quit today starting at just $25
and if you go to get quit , slash case file right now you'll get your first to refill free
that's your first to refill free at get quit calm slash case file spelled GE t qu IP dot-com slash case
file quit the good habits company if you have a dog then you know how important now canine companions are you watch them
grow you play with them you feed them and you love them you want them to be healthy energetic and happy
that's why laying down good and nutritional foundations for your dog can have lifelong benefits dogs lounge
offers natural food supplements made in the UK their range includes supplements - way to joint mobility bladder and
kidney function sensitive stomachs and even improved your dog's coat dogs lounge brings you the right nutrients
for a complete diet for your friend because a healthy dog means a happy you and that means a happy family dogs
lounge has a special offer for case file listeners ordered today at dogs lounge co uk and to get 20% off your first
order and a 60 day money back guarantee with the promo code case file that's dogs lounge Co UK with the offer code
case file at checkout for 20% off your first order and a 60 day money back guarantee dogs lunch for your best
friend episode 28 of case file covered the unsolved murder of Lindsay Busey AK the 24 year old real estate agent from
Victoria Canada on November 2 2008 Lindsay was brutally killed when she went to show a property to potential
clients in the suburb of Saanich the local Saanich Police Department took responsibility for the investigation but
as of now Lindsay's murder still remains unsolved Lindsay's father Jeff Busey AK is campaigning to have
Lindsay's case removed from the Saanich Police Department and referred to a new agency in the hopes that fresh eyes
might finally help the case be solved case file listeners can support Jeff's fight for justice by signing a petition
to view the petition and add your name to it you can follow the link in the show notes of this episode or go to
change.org click the search button at the top of the homepage and type in Busey AK bu z iak alternatively if you
just Google Search Busey AK petition that's the first thing that appears in the days following the slaughter of
the residents of traders Island roughly a dozen more men declared their loyalty to Cornelius the most of violent
mutineers emboldened after committing a public massacre regularly tormented others by taking their belongings and
threatening them the bloodshed continued and people lived in fear of inadvertently drawing
attention to themselves eleven survivors were suffering from illnesses such as scurvy or fever and had been isolated to
a communal tan Cornelius felt those in poor health were draining the island's resources on July 10 a mutineer
following his orders entered the quarantine tent late at night and slit the throats of everyone inside from that
point on it became extremely dangerous for anyone other than the mutineers to fall sick over time more and more ill
people were murdered commonly at night when they were at their most vulnerable by July 14 less than two weeks after the
murders started the mutinies had killed nearly 50 survivors lowering the population of Batavia graveyard to
around 90 those residing on the Highland and Seales island lived in relative safety out of reach though it wasn't
long before Cornelius turned his attention to them on July 15 Cornelius ordered seven mutineers to
kill all the male inhabitants of sails Island as well as being armed with swords and daggers the mutineers had
crafted weapons called morning stars which typically consisted of a spark ball at the end of a chain attached to a
piece of wood the mutinies version consisted of half bench strips of lead with long nails attached rope was tied
to one end so they could be swung at victims leading the attack were Cornelius's
chief executioner's David's a bunk and corn rat van hasten as soon as they landed on seals island four men and six
boys were stabbed and killed those who were wounded were dragged to the shore to be drowned fifteen cabin boys managed
to outrun the mutineers and hired the for female inhabitants as per Cornelius's instruction were spared
eight men escaped to the Highland using boats they had crafted in a secluded area of the island after slaughtering
half of seals Islands population the mutineers returned to Batavia is graveyard three days later on July 18
Cornelius ordered his men to return to seals island after dark and to finish the job upon arrival is a vow handed a
mutiny his knife and instructed him to kill the four women without hesitation the mutineer went to a heavily pregnant
woman named Mikan Soares took her by the hand and said Mike and love you must die
before throwing her down and cutting her throat the other three women were also murdered
12 of the cabin boys were stabbed and bludgeoned those who didn't die immediately were drowned at sea three
boys survived by running away and hiding in bushes they were safe until almost a week later on July 24
when they emerged in sight of Batavia graveyard Cornelius saw them and sent men to
capture them they were forced onto a boat with one of the boys made to throw the other two overboard to drown he was
permitted to live in exchange for becoming a mutineer towards the end of July Cornelius ordered increasingly
violent and shocking deaths in one instance he became enraged by a sick baby girl who cried constantly at night
as a former pharmacist he offered the child's mother and medicine he'd mixed claiming it would help this would be the
only time he attempted to kill someone by his own hands after consuming the concoction the baby entered a comatose
state but didn't die the following night Cornelius had a mutineer strangle her Cornelius's egomania went unchecked he
wore commander francisco pelsaert expensive clothes and would change outfits multiple times a day his most
trusted followers were also given special outfits made from expensive high-quality red wool and sewn with
elaborate trimmings they lived to better than anybody else on the island eating cask meat from the ship's rations rather
than surviving on birds and sea lions like everyone else they slept in spacious tents and drank wine instead of
rainwater mutineers who achieved the highest status were those who could overpower and slaughter other men while
those who killed women and children had a lower ranking some mutant is sort of high-ranking as a
matter of survival and to gain access to rations others were particularly bloodthirsty individuals who enjoyed
being able to kill and abuse others without consequence guys Bert Bastien's his wife Maria and to their seven
children had managed to survive a life on behaviour graveyard so far during part two guys birth status as a man of
the church guys Bert was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church known as a predicate shortly after the shipwreck
guys births 21 year old daughter Judy caught the attention of one of Cornelius's most violent and cruel
henchmen corn rat van heissen he proposed to her on the condition that they consummate their marriage on the
island despite being unable to legally marry until they returned home Judy discussed the issue with her father and
too though both were distressed by the offer they believed her acceptance was the only way to ensure her safety
so Judy reluctantly agreed to become Ben hi son's wife on July 21 Judy and her father were invited to dine with the van
hoisin and Cornelius while they ate David's Avant and eight other mutineers approached the
tent where the rest of guys Bert's family were staying is a van called out for the families maid and when she
approached he stabbed her he and the others then entered the tent claiming they were carrying out a search
following reports that the family had stolen supplies after ransacking the tent they extinguished a hanging lenten
and attacked the entire family using a hatchet and an axe Maria and six of her children whose ages ranged from eight to
twenty three were killed their bodies were dumped in a mass grave that had been dug earlier that evening
the mutineers continued their rampage throughout the night killing the vocs bookkeeper and the mother of the baby
Cornelius had poisoned their bodies were then deposited in the same mass grave that held guys Bert Bastien's family
while the massacre was underway Ari's yonce a military barber and surgeon who resided on Batavia graveyard was set
upon by two mutineers armed with swords fortunately their weapons were blunt allowing Ari's to escape with only minor
wounds he dove into the ocean and hid in the dark shallows as the mutineers searched for him when they failed to
spot Aires the assailants with the drew back to camp presuming their victim had succumbed to his injuries after they
left Ari's snuck over to the side of the island where the mutineers kept their boats he boarded one and set sail for
the Highland when iris reached the Highland he told private Webby Hayes and to the other soldiers settled there what
had been taking place at Batavia is graveyard the islands inhabitants were aware of the atrocities Cornelius and
his mutineers had been committing as many were refugees that had successfully escaped the bloodshed
since Cornelius came into power the population of the Highland had more than doubled to forty five men and a one boy
in case cornelius stormed their island private Hayes and his men crafted wooden pipes with nails hammered into the ends
collected a lumps of coral to throw at intruders and made their own morning stars from wreckage that had washed up
Paes had the advantage of being a skilled leader with strong soldiers and a sound understanding of battle tactics
the only way to access their island was from the neighboring island Sam Bain cut
low tide ensuring the mutineers wouldn't be able to launch a surprise attack Hayes constructed a two-room fort from
limestone and coral slabs that overlooked the sand bank allowing his men to keep a watch for invaders and
take shelter from any potential threat two days after the July 21 massacre Cornelius made a move against the those
on the Highland in a seemingly friendly letter addressed to private Hayes small militia Cornelius referred to those who
had fled to the Highland as evildoers who were banished from Batavia graveyard he claimed to they had left without
permission and ordered they'd be returned to him along with the boat that Ari's yarns had stolen Hayes didn't
believe Cornelius's claims and instead imprisoned the mutineer who delivered the letter
after several days passed with no reply or sign of his messenger Cornelius launched an attack he sent his two chief
executioner's David's a bank and a corn rat van hasten to the island with 20 other mutineers yet they were forced to
retreat as their adversaries had observed them approach and took up arms on August 5 as a Vulcan - van -
attempted another incursion this time with all the mutineers as they waded through the shallows towards the island
they were once again met by the well-prepared soldiers and were forced to turn back
meanwhile the inhabitants of Batavia graveyard continued to suffer by August only seven women remained
alive and all were forced into sexual slavery Cornelius became fixated on Lucretia yarns who had already enjoyed a
demeaning assault at the hands of the mutineers while on the Batavia he attempted to seduce her by writing her
poems and giving her wine but she rejected his advances after two weeks Cornelius lost his
temper and complained to David's a bunk about the matter his day Valkyr then threatened to Lucretia with death if she
didn't comply with Cornelius's wishes so she submitted to his will in that same month a boy was blindfolded under the
guise of a joke only to be decapitated Hans Hardin's who had already endured the murder of his six-year-old daughter
Hilla train also lost his wife when she was strangled with her own hair ribbon the man who led the survivors prior to
Cornelius's arrival was stabbed with a pike and sword then hit in the head with a morning star the mutineers openly
discussed whom they would like to murder next and people were not permitted to mourn for their loved ones following the
massacre of Gauss Bert Bastien's family mutant is discovered him crying and stated be silent or you go the same way
guys Bert's life was regularly threatened but Cornelius believed he might prove a useful bargaining chip in
the battle against the Heil and so he was kept alive by late August winter was drawing to an end and it was raining
less resulting in depleting water suppliers Cornelius attempted yet another charge on the Highland this time
with a more deceptive approach on September 1 he sent two guys Bert Bastien's to negotiate a peace treaty
with private Hayes who agreed to receive the mutineers the following day on September 2 the entire population of
Batavia graveyard now reduced to 32 men and six women traveled to the Highland with Cornelius
they watched from the sand bank between islands as Cornelius and five of his most loyal followers continued onwards
they gifted their adversary's new clothes and red wine which were well received as Cornelius and Hayes engaged
in peace talks the mutineers offered the soldiers from the Highland jewels and money to switch sides
in response the soldiers launched a surprise attack arresting Cornelius and four of his men including David's a bunk
and corn rat van - one mutineer named Val Talos managed to escape and to reach a small bow the mutineers waiting on the
sandbank made a beeline for the soldiers though they had to run almost half a kilometer to reach them they vastly
outnumbered the soldiers so private Webby Hayes ordered the immediate execution of Cornelius's captured
followers to scare the rest of the mutineers away but David's a bunk and corn rat van Hyson were among those
killed the brutal display caused the approaching mutineers to retreat back to Batavia 'he's graveyard taking the
innocent survivors with them Your Honor mr. Cornelius now a prisoner of the Highland was placed in a limestone pit
that functioned as a cell he spent his days plucking feathers from birds that the soldiers had hunted
over on Batavia graveyard a new ruler was elected from the mutineers ranks 24-year old without a louse under his
authority the murders ceased and women were no longer abused with Cornelius now gone a number of men abandoned the cause
leaving fewer than 20 loyalists two weeks later supplies on patatas graveyard were running low in a
desperate bid to gain access to their water and food Lois declared war on the highlands the battle commenced at 9:00
a.m. on September 17 though the remaining mutineers were now vastly outnumbered and didn't have the military
experience of their opponents they did have two muskets each capable of firing one round per minute private webby Hayes
and his men took cover behind rocks and in there fought but the mutineers still managed to wound four soldiers
one of whom later died from his injuries the confrontation continued for several
hours until suddenly in the early afternoon a ship appeared on the horizon [Music]
commander Francisco pelsaert and his group of 48 survivors had sailed for almost a month
in an effort to reach the Batavia settlement in Indonesia for help they suffered no losses over the course of
their journey and successfully reached the Dutch settlement on July 7 16:29 two days later pelsaert was summoned to
appear before the vocs council to account for the loss of the company's new flagship vessel and its precious
cargo pelsaert described the manner in which the Batavia had crashed into the reef explaining that the majority of
people on board had survived and did they had managed to recover its most valuable items among those who
accompanied pelsaert to Batavia was he's a longtime adversary captain Harry and yeah kerbs he was held accountable for
his actions aboard the Batavia including orchestrating the attack on Lucretia yarns in a failed bid at mutiny both he
and Batavia spos'n yar neighbors who Lucretia identified as the ringleader were arrested after being tortured a
Virts confessed to his part in a mutiny and to the assault of Lucretia and was executed by hanging captain Yakov's was
ordered to stint trial for the faulty navigation that led to the Batavia becoming shipwrecked and his role in
quote a gross evil and public assault Commander pelsaert was granted another vocs ship named the Sodom to rescue the
survivors Heda left behind and to recover as much cargo as possible he departed Batavia on July 15 with a
small crew and began sailing back towards their braless Islands by August 10 there were less than 80 kilometers
from the shipwreck site but a navigation miscalculation as well as poor weather made it difficult to find the islands
that took more than a month for them to orientate themselves by September 13 the
rescuers finally reached the northern end of the island chain three days later on the evening of September 16 they
sighted what remained of the Batavia and steered towards it the next morning they
dropped anchor had approximately midday on September 17 three kilometers from the Highland and six and a half
kilometers from Batavia is graveyard as soon as the mutineers caught sight of the rescue ship they ceased their attack
on the Highland a boat was sighted rowing from the ship towards the smaller of the two Highland Islands which sat
south from where the battle was being waged a number of the mutineers who were still dedicated to Cornelius's plan of
commandeering a rescue vessel immediately set sail for the sedan at the same time private webby Hayes and
three of his men raced to their own makeshift boat hoping that they would be able to reach the rescuers first the two
groups began frantically rowing trying to beat one another there commander pelsaert along with several
crew members had loaded one of the sardines boats with supplies such as bread and water and headed towards the
nearest to visible land just as they reached its shores and disembarked a boat carrying four men drew close one of
the men left out and shouted at them welcome that go back aboard immediately but there is a party of miscreants on
the islands near the rack who had the intention to seize the yacht the men was private webby Hayes he quickly informed
pelsaert of the events that had taken place over the past few months pelsaert set back out for the sardian to warn the
remainder of his crew as he neared the ship he saw the mutineers were also rapidly approaching in their boat when
the mutineers boarded the sardian they were greeted by guns and Parks pelsaert had made it aboard just in time to alert
the crew of the ambush the mutineers surrendered and were arrested during interrogations they revealed they had
killed more than 100 men women and children under the order of Euronymous Cornelius some also admitted to being
part of the original mutiny on the Batavia revealing the captain Aryan Yakov's had been one of the masterminds
behind it Cornelius was retrieved from his limestone prison and taken aboard the Sodom
upon seeing the bound man command app Elsa looked at his former deputy with great sorrow as he was quote such a
scoundrel cause of so many disasters and of the shedding of human blood Cornelius tried to absolve himself of
any guilt by implicating his various followers in the mutiny and murders but his claims were rejected and he was
locked up in a Cell the following morning pelsaert and several armed soldiers went to the
Tobias Graveyard to arrest the remaining mutineers and rescued the survivors they
discovered crucial pieces of evidence on the island including several oaths that
Cornelius had made his followers sign Dutch law at the time dictated that justice needed to be meted out as
quickly as possible so it was decided that the trials of the mutinies ringleaders would be carried out on the
islands where the crimes had taken place pelsaert and five other high-ranking officials from the sodom and the Batavia
formed a council and began proceedings while the survivors were housed on the sedan the accused mutineers were kept
prisoner on seals island far away from everybody else the defendants had no lawyers so the trial solely consisted of
pelsaert questioning witnesses as only a few of the perpetrators would admit to their crimes
torture was used to elicit confessions from the others including Cornelius interrogators would strap the individual
to a frame then slowly pour water over their head until it covered their faces and hindered their ability to breathe
they were then forced to drink the water which led to extreme bloating and fainting if the torture lasted for an
extended period Cornelius endured several days of these sessions he had a little hope of convincing the council he
was innocent as these former followers were willing to testify against him furthermore the recovered oaths proved
his control over the inhabitants of Batavia Sh graveyard he eventually acknowledged that he'd
ordered the deaths of three dozen people and planned a mutiny on board the Batavia however he blamed many of the
remaining murders on the mutineers who had died in the failed attack on the Highland after admitting to some of his
crimes Cornelius attempted to delay his sentencing by reneging his confession quibbling over small details at trial
and asking to speak with his wife back in the Dutch Republic he ultimately signed a confession on September 28 and
was sentenced to have both his hands cut off and to be executed by hanging upset at the outcome cornelius stated I
see well they want my blood into my life that God would not suffer that I shall die a shameful death I know for certain
and you will all see it that God will perform unto me this night a miracle so that I shall not be hanged on September
29 Cornelius attempted to take his own life by drinking poison but survived and was
in so much pain that he begged for an antidote his execution along with the executions of seven other mutineers took
place on seals Island on October 2 16 29 before Cornelius was led to a set of gallows Lucretia yarns confronted him
and insisted he take responsibility for raping her he replied it is true you are
not to blame the other mutineers sentenced to die asked that cornelius be killed first so that they could watch
their request was granted cornelius refused spiritual absolution and instead hurled to verbal abuse that his former
followers guys berg bastions who lost his wife and six children in one night under the order of cornelius later wrote
about his experiences he described how cornelius remained staunchly unrepentant quote saying even at the end as he
mounted the gallows revenge revenge so that to the end of his life he was an evil man over the years many have
speculated as to what motivated you run a mess cornelius to orchestrate the deaths of so many innocent people
historian mark dash theorized that cornelius was a psychopath due to his superficial charm ability to
manipulate others lack of compassion and impulsivity in his book Batavia is graveyard Mike -
writes though years of casual usage have stripped the word of much of its meaning
true Psychopaths are not evil men incapable of self-control on the contrary they are always chillingly in
command of their emotions what they actually lack is empathy the capacity to either understand or care what other
people feel following Euronymous Cornelius's death for other mutineers had - their right
hand severed and were subsequently killed while the remaining three were merely executed their bodies were left
out on display to remain hanging from the gallows until they decomposed nine remaining mutineers were to be
taken to V OC headquarters in Batavia to be interrogated further nineteen men who
signed Earths of loyalty to Cornelius were released unless incriminating evidence arose most of these individuals
likely aligned with Cornelius to protect themselves or others but a few of Cornelius's legitimate followers managed
to remain undetected before they embarked on their return journey to Batavia commander pelsaert was
determined to salvage anything and everything that he could from the shipwreck to please his superiors divers
recovered 10 out of the vessels 12 chests of money of the missing - one had been trapped beneath the cannon and was
inaccessible while the other was never found [Music] the islands were also searched for
anything of value that could be given to the vo sea with pelsaert finding jewels
and other goods that Cornelius had hoarded for himself on October 12 thus our dams captain was sent out with four
other men to fetch a barrel of vinegar that had been sighted on a reef wild winds and rain ensued the following day
the five men were spotted attempting to navigate through the storm but never returned
by mid-november 1629 what remained of the Batavia Shrek ajaan the reef had been driven almost entirely underwater
by the waves pelsaert determined that nothing further could be saved and prepared to leave before sailing north
he decided they should first travel to the Australian mainland in a last-ditch effort to see whether Sam's missing
captain and sailors had made it to land he also planned to maroon two of the mutineers there as punishment for their
crimes the stranded mutineers were felt a loss who had Alette Cornelius's men following
his arrest and a cabin boy named yarn pilgrim the decision to abandon them was intended as merciful as pelsaert did
not believe a loss was as culpable as Cornelius while pilgrim was granted some leniency due to his youth on November 16
Lois and pilgrim were left with a boat and instructed to become familiar with the foreign land and its people in the
hopes they might be able to find gold silver or anything of value if ships passed by their location the pair were
permitted to be rescued so they could report what they discovered abandoning the two mutinies on the coast of Western
Australia made them the first Europeans to inhabit the country 159 years before the first British colony was established
in Sydney in 1788 it is unknown what happened to them after they were abandoned as the BOC
never made any attempt to rescue them 200 years later in 1829 the first permanent British settlement was
established in Western Australia reports were received of a light-skinned indigenous people having lived along the
coast some have speculated whether this meant blow sand pilgrim joined an indigenous tribe and had children with
them but there is no evidence to support this for those on board the SAR dam the
journey to Batavia took just under three weeks due to strong winds and the Karma
spring weather they arrived on Wednesday December 5 16:29 two months later on January 31 1630 crowds gathered to watch
the public sentencing and executions of the 12 remaining mutineers six were hanged with one having his right hand
severed as well three were publicly flogged and two then sent into exile two of the younger mutineers aged 15 and 17
were made to draw lots to see which of them would be executed and which would only be flogged with one being granted
mercy due to their young age a particularly brutal mutiny named Jakob Peters was found to have participated in
the original mutiny as well as engineering the slaughter of guys Bert bastions family
he was sentenced to the most severe punishment possible death by being broken on the wheel it involved an
individual being tied to a scaffold while an executioner used an iron bar to crush all of the bones in their arms and
legs they would then be placed on a huge cart wheel who stood upright and publicly
displayed with death sometimes taking hours to occur but AVS captain Aryan Yakov's refused to talk although he had
been implicated in the mutiny on the Batavia the only evidence was the accusations made by Commander pelsaert
and some of those involved nevertheless he remained in prison until June 16 31 on unproven charges after this there are
no further records of Yakov's and it is believed he died in custody a number of mutineers escaped capture and
punishment for their actions for sailors who joined pelsaert on the longboat thus
sailed to Batavia to get help had been part of Yaakov's and Cornelius's original mutiny plot and
three had taken part in the assault of Lucretia yarns however they remained behind rather than participate in the
rescue mission pelsaert learned of their involvement when he interrogated the other mutineers but by the time the
siddhim returned to Batavia they had disappeared of the more than 200 individuals who were marooned on their
braless islands but three months only 74 innocent survivors reached their final destination of Batavia including five
women and one child vo see archives indicate that 115 people were murdered by Cornelius and his
followers a figure that amounts to more than a third of the Batavia is original passengers
private webby haze emerged as the hero of the tragedy for protecting those who had escaped Cornelius's men by
establishing a stronghold on the Highland he was promoted to the rank of sergeant his salary was doubled and he
went on to have a successful military career the men who fought alongside him also received promotions and wage
increases for Lucretia yarns her arrival for the Batavia settlement in Indonesia
resulted in further sorrow the point of her journey was to reunite with her husband following the unexpected deaths
of their three children however he had been posted to Burma without her knowledge sometime earlier and had since
died she opted to remain in Batavia and to remarried in October 1630 before returning home to answer the dam with
her second husband in 1635 [Music] shortly after arriving at the Batavia settlement in December 16:29 guys burg
Bastien's decided to write to extended family members to relay the murder of his wife and children as well as his
experiences over the past few months he penned a lengthy letter which later became one of the key records of the
shipwreck and a massacre two years later he remarried a widow and was sent to the
bender islands 2,000 kilometers east of Batavia to minister the troops stationed
to there he later caught dysentery and died in the spring of 1633 his daughter Judy had endured and not only the loss
of her family but repeated sexual abuse during her time on Batavia graveyard to secure her future she married a man
after her rescue but he died within a few months of their wedding she remarried a year later but her second
husband passed away after four years of marriage taking pity on judex situation the V OC awarded her six hundred
guilders compensation almost ten thousand Australian dollars in today's currency this enabled Judy to return to
the Dutch Republic to live in relative comfort commander Francisco pelsaert was posted to Sumatra to be
second-in-command of a military operation he wrote a detailed journal about the Batavia shipwreck and subsequent events
for his superiors after reading it the commanders of the vo sea became displeased with pelsaert believing that
if he hadn't left the survivors without a leader on the islands the massacre might have never occurred there were no
real consequences for pelsaert as he had become gravely ill a month earlier and died in September 1630 at the age of 35
his journal which provides a comprehensive account of the tragedy has been translated into English and des
stored in the Netherlands State Archives in the city of the hague during the period when the vo c was journeying east
through the Indian Ocean a number of Dutch ships were racked along the dangerous and too volatile West
Australian coast but the events that followed the Batavia colliding with morning reef in the ER braless islands
made it the most notorious although the ship's story became infamous in the Dutch Republic in the immediate
aftermath the exact location of the wreck became something of a mystery in 1840 Captain John Lord Stokes was charting
their braless islands for Britain's Royal Navy when he came across some large beams on an island in the southern
group convinced the Advanta the side of the rack he named the landmass pelsaert Island in the 1950s the story of the
Batavia fascinated Perth based the journalist novelist and historian Henrietta Drake Brockman when she
learned of the discovery of utensils a pistol and two human skeletons on inlets 80 kilometers north of pelsaert Island
she suspected captain Stokes had mistaken the vessels final resting place furthermore Henrietta pointed out that
commander francisco pelsaert had described the Wallabies in his writings and the animals only lived on two
islands in the north and group around at the same time the region became popular
with Cray fishermen one day in 1960 a fisherman uncovered a human skeleton as well as a pewter Bell from a trumpet
that was inscribed with the Year 1628 reigniting interest in the hunt for the Batavia
in June 1963 Dave Johnson was sitting lobster pots in the area when he sighted something below the water he returned to
the location on several occasions to re-examine the object and at one stage was digging on an island nearby and
uncovered a skeleton he alerted diver max Kramer of his finds as max was in search of the shipwreck On June 4 1963
exactly 334 years after the Batavia ran into mourning reef max became the first person to dive on the long lost ship
which was located about two miles from where Henrietta Drake Brockman had estimated it would be the island where
Dave Johnson had dug up the skeleton was now named beacon Island but centuries before had been dubbed Batavia slave
yard the two Highland islands had been named East wallaby into West wallaby in the intervening years while the gallows
on seals Island where the bodies of Euronymous Cornelius and several of his followers were left on display had a
long since disintegrated remnants of private webby Hayes's stone fought remained on West wallaby Island making
it the oldest European structure on Australian soil over the course of a decade the Batavia was salvaged divers
found apothecary jars cannons grenades and anchor and coins from the chests that were left behind between 1972 and
76 work carried out by the department of maritime archaeology led to parts of the
ship's hull being discovered then carefully recorded and raised these were treated restored and then
rebuilt and are currently on display at the shipwrecks Museum in the Western Australian city of Fremantle the Batavia
expedition also features various recovered artifacts as well as a victims skeleton a replica of the doomed vessel
was constructed in the 1990s and is currently in lay least on a city in the central Netherlands the longboat that
commander Francisco pelsaert used to reach the Batavia settlement has also been replicated and set sail on the last
Sunday of each month in the coastal city of Geraldton in Western Australia since
the mid 1990s both Dutch and Australian archaeologists have undertaken several excavations on beacon Island to recover
the remains of those massacred there and have succeeded in finding the skeletons
of 16 people as recently as November 2017 they discovered another mass grave that contained the remains of five
individuals in an interview with Australian television program 60 minutes Dutch maritime archaeologist - dr. Wendy
van diving-board explained why she believed finding the victims still remained important almost 400 years
later she stated that she carried out the work quote as an honor to those people who died there to get their story
told give them a little bit back for being left behind in this place at the end of the earth
[Music] you

Case 138: The Batavia

The Batavia set sail from Amsterdam with a fleet of seven other ships, carrying 341 people who ranged from V.O.C officials, sailors and soldiers, to relatively well-off passengers travelling with their families...

*** Sign the Lindsay Buziak petition here: https://casefilepodcast.com/lindsay ***

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile Casefile Presents https://casefilepresents.com

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-138-the-batavia

Brief Summary

The Batavia shipwreck led to a mutiny and massacre, with over 100 survivors killed by mutineers.

Key points

The Batavia's Launch. In 1628, the Batavia set sail with a fleet, carrying valuable cargo and 341 people.
The Shipwreck. The Batavia struck a coral reef, leading to chaos and a desperate struggle for survival.
Cornelius's Rise to Power. Cornelius plots a mutiny to gain control over the survivors on Batavia's graveyard.
Massacre on Traders Island. Cornelius's men execute a brutal attack on the inhabitants of Traders Island.
The Horrific Murders. Cornelius orders the execution of the sick and weak, leading to widespread fear.
The Final Assault. Cornelius's men return to Seals Island to finish the job, killing the remaining survivors.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Life on the ship was harsh, perilous, and unpleasant.

Describing the conditions aboard the Batavia

3:41WatchFeb 29, 2020

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.