THE DUTCH DISCOVER AUSTRALIA 251 



i.e. from the Abrolhos to North-West Cape. All this coast 

 had been seen before, but not at such close quarters. 

 Pelsart's voyage established its reputation ; the reputation 

 of a coast where there were no harbours or good landings, 

 no water, plenty of ant-hills and flies, a barren and cursed 

 soil, and bad black natives. 



Pelsart was given a frigate for the rescue of the people 

 on the Abrolhos. When he reached them on the 1 7th 

 of September, he observed that smoke still rose from 

 two islands. He approached one of them, and a boat 

 came alongside with four men who told a tale of horror. 



Jerome Cornells, supercargo of the Batavia, was one Tragedy 

 of the seventy men whom Pelsart had been forced to leave 

 upon the wreck. He floated thence upon the mainmast 

 for two days, and came to land on the larger of the two 

 islands. In the course of the voyage he had plotted 

 with the pilots and some others to seize the ship, and use 

 her for purposes of piracy. He now resumed the old 

 plan, and he and his friends signed a compact to seize 

 the ship in which Pelsart would come to their rescue. 

 They murdered all those on the island whom they dis- 

 trusted, thirty or forty altogether ; but forty-five joined 

 pieces of wood together, and drifted to a third island 

 on which a man named Weybehays had found water. 

 But the murderers attacked those on the smaller island, 

 and killed all the men. Then Cornelis broke open the 

 chests of merchandise, and clothed his body-guard in 

 scarlet, embroidered with gold and silver. But his attack 

 on the company under Weybehays failed, and he was 

 taken prisoner. This was the story that Weybehays 

 now told Pelsart, warning him that the pirates still designed 

 to surprise him. And in fact two boats at once came 

 alongside, filled with men " covered with embroidery 

 of gold and silver, and with weapons in their hands." 

 Pelsart threatened to sink them, they surrendered, and 

 were put in irons. The wreck was found to be broken 

 into a hundred pieces, but several chests of silver were 

 recovered. Then Pelsart held a Council to determine 

 whether the prisoners should be tried on the spot, or should 



