Chap. I Captain Francis Pels art. 32.1 
feme to the Reader to fet down a long Account of Things 
perfectly well known, I fhall fay nothing of the Occurrences 
that happened in their Paffage to the Cape of Good Hope 3 
but content myfc-lf with observing, that, on the 4th of June 
in the following Year 1629, this Veffel, the Batavia , being 
feparated from the Fleet in a Storm, was driven on the 
Abroiioes or Sholes, which lie in the Latitude of 28° South, 
and which have been fince called by the Dutch the Abroiioes 
■ of Frederic Boatman. Captain P elf art ^ who was fick in 
Bed when this Accident happened, perceiving that his Ship 
had Struck, ran immediately upon Deck. It was Night 
indeed*, but the. Weather was fair, and the Moon ftione 
very bright 3 the Sails were up 5 the Courfe they Peered 
was North-eaft by North •, and the Sea appeared, as lar as 
they could behold it, covered with a white broth. The 
Captain called up the Mailer, and charged him with the 
Lofs of the Ship 3 who excufed himfelf by faying, he had 
taken all the Care he could 3 and that, having difeerned 
this . Froth at a Diftance, he allied the Steer frftan, What he 
thought of it 3 who told him, 1 hat the Sea appeared white, 
by its reflecting the Rays of the Moon. The Captain then 
alked him. What was to be done 3 and in what Part of the 
World he thought they were. The Mailer replied, That 
God only knew that 3 and that the Ship was fall on a Bank 
hitherto undifeovered. Upon this, they began- to throw the 
Lead, and found, that they had about forty-eight Feet 
Water before, and much lefs behind, the Veflel. The Crew 
immediately agreed to throw their Cannon overboard, in 
hopes, that, when the Ship was lightened, fine might be. 
brought to float again. They let fall an Anchor* however 3 
and, while they were thus employed, a moil dreadful Storm 
arofe of Wind and Rain 3 which foon convinced them of the. 
Danger they were in •, for, being furrounded with Rocks 
and Sholes, the Ship was perpetually ilriking. 
They then refoived to cut away the Main-mail 3 which 
they did : And this augmented the Shock*, neither could they 
get clear of it, tho 5 they cut it ciofe by the Board, becaufe 
it was much intangled with the Rigging. They could fee 
no Land* except an Bland, which was about the Diftance 
of three Leagues, and two fmaller Iflands, or rather Rocks, 
which lay nearer. They immediately fent the Mailer to exa- 
mine them, who Returned about nine in the Morning, and 
reported* that ’the Sea, at High-water* did not cover 
them * but that the Coaft was fo. rocky, and full of Sholes, 
that it would be very difficult to land upon them. They 
refoived, however, to run the Rifque, and to fend moil 
of their Company on fliore-, to pacify the Women, Chil- 
dren, fick People, and filch as were out of their Wits with 
Fear, whofe Cries and Noife ferved only to diiturb them. 
About ten o’Clock, they embarqued thefe in their Shallop 
and Skiff *, and, perceiving their Veffel began to break, 
they doubled their Diligence. They like wife endeavoured 
to get their Bread up •, but they did not take the fame Care 
of the Water, not reflecting in their Fright, that they might 
be much diftreffed for want of it on fhore * and what hin- 
dered them moll of all was, the brutal Behaviour of fome of 
the Crew, that made themfelves drunk with the Wine, of 
which no Care was taken. In fliort, fuch was their Con- 
fufion, that they made but three Trips that Day, carrying 
over to the Ifland 180 Perfons, twenty Barrels of Bread, 
and fome fmall Calks of Water. The Mailer returned on 
board towards Evening, and told the Captain, that it was 
to no purpofe to fend more Provifions on fhore, fince the 
People only walled thofe they had already.' Upon this, the 
Captain went in the Shallop to put things in better Order ; 
and was then informed, that there was no Water to be found 
upon the Ifland. Fie endeavoured to return to the Ship, in 
order to bring off a Supply, together with the moll valu- 
able Part of their Cargo * but a Storm fuddenly arifing, he 
Was forced to return. 
3. The next Day was fpent in removing their Water, 
and moll valuable Goods, on fhore 3 and afterwards, the 
Captain in the Skiff, and the Mailer in the Shallop, endea- 
voured to return to the Veffel 3 but found the Sea run fo 
high, that it was impoffible to get on board. In this Ex- 
tremity, the Carpenter threw himfelf out of the Ship, and 
fwam to them, in order to inform them to what Hardfhips 
thofe left in the Veffel were reduced 3 and they fent him 
back, with Orders for them to make Rafts, by tying the 
Numb. 22. 
Planks together, and endeavour, on thefe, to reach the Shal- 
lop and Skiff 3 but, before this could be done, the W eather 
became fo rough, that the Captain was obliged to return, 
leaving, with the utmofl Grief, his Lieutenant, and feventy 
Men, on the very Point of perifhing on board the Veffel. 
Thofe who were got on the little Ifland were not in much 
better Condition 3 for, upon taking an Account of their 
Water, they found they had not above forty Gallons for 
forty People 3 and on the larger Ifland, where there were 
120, their Stock was llill lefs. Thofe who were on the 
little Ifland began to murmur, and to complain of their Of- 
ficers, becaufe they did not go in Search of Water in the 
Iflands that were v/ithin Sight of them 3 and they reprefen ted 
the Neceflity of this to Captain Pelf art. 5 who agreed to their 
Requefl 3 but infilled, before he went, to communicate his 
Defign to the reft of his People. They confented to this; 
but not till the Captain had declared, that, without the Con- 
fent of the Company on the large Ifland, he would, rather 
than leave them, go and perifh on board the Ship. When 
they were got pretty near the fhore, he, who commanded 
the Boat, told the Captain, that, if he had any thing to 
fay, he mufl cry out to the People 3 for that they would 
not fuffer him to go out of the Boat. The Captain imme- 
diately attempted to throw himfelf overboard, in order to 
fwim to the Ifland. Thofe who were in the Boat prevented 
him 3 and all that he could obtain of them was, to throw on 
fhore his Table-book, in which he wrote a Line or two to 
inform them, that he was gone in. the Skiff to look for SFa~ 
ter in the adjacent Iflands. 
He accordingly coafled them all with the greatefl Care, 
and found, in moft of them, confiderable Quantities of 
Water in the Holes of the Rocks-, but fo mixed with the 
Sea-water, that it was unfit for Ufe 3 and therefore they 
were obliged to go farther*-. The firfl thing they did was, 
to make a Deck to their Boat, becaufe they fount! it was 
impracticable to navigate thofe Seas in an open Veffel. 
Some of the Crew joined them by that time the Work was 
finifhed 3 and the Captain having obtained a Paper, figned 
by all his Men, importing, that it was their Defire, that he 
fliould go in Search of Water, he immediately put to Sea, 
having firfl taken an Gbfervation, by which he found they 
were in the Latitude of 28° if South. They had not 
been long at Sea, before they had Sight of the Continent, 
which appeared to them to lie about fixteen Miles North 
by Weft from the Place where they had fuffered Shipwreck. 
They found about twenty-five or thirty Fathom Water 3 
and, as Night drew on, they kept out to Sea 3 and, after 
Midnight, flood in for the Land, that they might be near 
the Coaft in the Morning. On the 9th (of June ) they 
found themfelves, as they reckoned, about three Miles from 
the Shore 3 on which they plied all that Day, failing fome- 
times North, Sometimes Weft, the Country appearing low, 
naked, and the Coaft exceffively rocky 3 fo that they 
thought it refembled the Country near Dover. At laft they 
faw a little Creek, into which they were willing to put, be- 
caufe it appeared to have a fandy Bottom 3 but, when they 
attempted to enter it, the Sea ran fo high, that they were 
forced to defifl. 
On the 10th, they remained on the fame Coaft, plying 
to-and-again, as they had done the Day before 3 but the 
Weather growing worfe and worfe, they were obliged to 
abandon their Shallop, and even to throw a Part of their 
Bread overboard, becaufe it hindered them from clearing 
themfelves of the W ater, which their Veffel began to make 
very fail. That Night it rained moft terribly, which, tho* 
it gave them much Trouble, afforded them Hopes, that it 
would prove a great Relief to the People they had left be- 
hind them on the Iflands. The Wind began to fink on the 
nth 3 and, as it blew from the Weft South- weft, they 
continued their Courfe to the North, the Sea running ftill 
fo high, that it was impoffible to approach the Shore. On 
the 1 2th, they had an Observation, by which they found 
themfelves in the Latitude of 2 7 0 . They failed with a 
South-eaft Wind all that Day along the Coaft, which they 
found fo fteep, that there was no getting on ihore 3 in- 
afmuch as there was no Creek, or low Land, without the 
Rocks, as is commonly oblerved on Sea-coafts 3 which gave 
them the more Pain, becaufe withm-land the Country ap- 
peared extremely fruitful and pleafant They found them* 
4. N Selves, 
