Ongeluckige voyagie, van't schip Batavia nae de Oost-Indien [...]. Vytgevaren onder den E. Francoys Pelsert. Amsterdam: J. Jansz., 1647.

Full transcription of the title-page

Ongeluckige Voyagie, van't Schip Batavia, Nae de Oost-Indien. Gebleven op de Abrolhos van Frederick Houtman, op de hooghte van 28 1/3 graet, by-Zuyden de Linie Æquinoctiael. Vytgevaren onder den E. Francoys Pelsert.

Vervatende, Soo ’t verongelucken des Schips, als de grouwelijcke Moorderijen onder ’t gebergde Scheeps-volck, op ’t Eylant Batavies Kerck-hof voorgevallen; nevens de Straffe de Hantdadigers overgekomen. Geschiet in de jaren 1628. en 1629.

Nevens Een Treur-bly-eynde Ongheluck, des Oost-Indische Compagnies Dienaers in ’t jaer 1636. wedervaren, in ’t Conincklijcke Hof van Siam, in de Stadt Judia, onder de directie van den E. Jeremias van Vliet.

Als mede De groote Tyrannye van Abas, Coninck van Persien, Anno 1645. begaen aen sijn grootste Heeren des Rijcks, in sijn Conincklijck Hof tot Espahan.

Alles door een Liefhebber uyt verscheyde Schriften te samen gehestelt, ende tot waerschouwing aller derwaerts varende Persoonen, in ’t licht gegeven; oock met veel schoone kopere Platen verrijckt.

[Ornament]

Tot Amsterdam, voor Jan Jansz. Anno 1647.

Translation of the title-page

Disastrous Voyage of the Vessel Batavia to the East Indies. Stranded on the Abrolhos of Frederick Houtman, at a latitude of 28½ degrees South of the Equinoctial line. Sailed under the worthy Francoys Pelsert.

Containing The Wreck of the Vessel, as well as the horrible Murders among the rescued Crew and Passengers on the Island “Bataviaes Kerck Hof” (Batavia’s Church-yard); also, the Punishment of the Criminals. Occurred in the years 1628 and 1629.

Furthermore, A Happily ended Disaster which befel the Servants of the East India Company in the year 1636, at the Royal Court of Siam, in the town of Judia, under the command of the Worthy Jeremias van Vliet.

Finally. The Acts of extreme Tyranny of Abas, King of Persia, in the year 1645, to the highest Dignitaries of his Empire, at his Royal Court of Ispahan.

All compiled by a Dilettante from various Writings, and published as a warning to all Persons sailing thither. Illustrated with several fine copper Plates.

[Ornament]

Amsterdam, for Jan Jansz, Anno 1647

STCN-record

Ongelukkige
Ongeluckige voyagie, van't schip Batavia, nae de Oost-Indien [...]. Vytgevaren onder den E. Francoys Pelsert. Amsterdam, f. J. Jansz., 1647
4°: π1 A-P⁴ (lacks P4, blank?)
Fingerprint: 164704 - b1 A ij : b2 P3 ele
Typographical information: typographical title-page, type-face Gothic, illustrations outside
collation
Copies: Koninklijke Bibliotheek 893 E 97; Amsterdam University Library 1804 D 2; British Library 566.f.10:1; British Library 789.a.14

Composition

π1r: Title-page
π1v: Instruction for the bookbinder
A1r-H2v (= p. 1-60): Ongeluckighe Voyagie
H3r-O2v (= p. 61-108): Treur-bly-eynde Ongheluck
O3r-P3v (= p. 109-118): De groote Tyrannye van Abas
Engravings inserted after p. 2, 8, 17, 31, 32, 40.

On this publication

The Short-Title Catalogue, Netherlands (STCN) holds nine different editions of this book. The edition which is digitized and described here, is the first one, and the only one dating from 1647. It was published by Jan Jansz, who is better known under his latinized name Johannes Jansonius. His career as a bookseller and publisher spans more than half a century: 1608-1664. He was one of the most important persons in the book-trade of Amsterdam and the Low Counties, and the greatest competitor of his well known neighbours Willem Janszoon Blaeu (active 1608-1639) and Joan Blaeu (active 1632-1673).

This edition of Pelsaert’s Ongeluckige voyagie is not really typical for his stock, although it fits well in the collection of travelogues, Begin ende voortgangh van de Nederlantsche Geoctroyeerde Oost-Indische Compagnie (Start and Progress of the Dutch East-India Company), which he published in 1646. However, the majority of Jansonius’ publications are in Latin and aim at an academic public. This book is clearly meant for a wider audience, that loved to read about spectacular and horrible events. The (anonymous) copper engravings add to the attractivity for these readers. The two other texts in this volume have nothing to do with the South-land, but are equally sensational. And the remark on the title-page, “... published as a warning to all Persons sailing thither...”, should not be taken to the letter, but contributes to the same atmosphere.

The text of this edition has probably been compiled and edited by Isaac Commelin (1598-1676) on the basis of François Pelsaert’s handwritten journal and a few other sources. Commelin had been the compiler of Janssonius’ Begin ende voortgangh... as well. Later editions incorporate several additions. Between 1648 and circa 1664 eight reprints have been issued. They can all be found in the STCN (http://wwww.kb.nl/stcn/index-en.html).

1648: Second enlarged edition, again published by Jan Janszoon
1648: For Joost Hartgersz (bookseller in Amsterdam, 1637-1655)
1648: For Joost Hartgersz, part of his collection Oost-Indische voyagien
1648: For Joost Hartgersz, part of his collection Oost-Indische voyagien (different edition)
1649: For Lucas Simonsz de Vries (bookseller in Utrecht, 1630-1670)
1651: For Joost Hartgersz
1653: For Lucas Simonsz de Vries
1664: Printed by Gillis Joosten Saeghman (printer and bookseller in Amsterdam, 1643-1702), part of his
collection Verscheyde Oost-Indische voyagien.

Translations

The first and only complete English translation:
- ‘Disastrous voyage of the Vessel Batavia’, In: The Western Mail. Christmas number [24 dec.] 1897, pp. 3-10.
Digitized images of the complete text in this very rare newspaper have been added to this CD-rom, thanks to the kind permission of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Australia.

Shortened French adapations:
- [Melchisédech Thévenot], Relations de divers voyages curievx, qvi ont esté traduites d’Hacluyt, de Purchas, & d’autres voyageurs Anglois, Hollandois, Portugais, Allemands, Espagnols …. A Paris, de l’imprimerie de Iacqves Langlois… 1663, ff. 4G1v – 4G4v. (With a map of the Dutch explorations on the Australian north-, west- and south coast.)
- The same work was reissued in 1696.

English translations of this French adaptation:
- Terra Australis Cognita: or, Voyages to the Terra Australis, or Southern Hemisphere, during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. Vol. 2. Edinburgh, printed by A. Donaldson …, 1768 (Reprint Amsterdam and New York, 1967), pp. 335-350

The same translation in modernized spelling and style - R.H. Major, Early voyages to Terra Australis, now called Australia. London, Hakluyt Society, 1859. (Reprint New York, ca. 1970), pp. 59-74.

Acknowlegdements

Digitized copy: Koninklijke Bibliotheek: 893 E 97

The reproduction and translation of the Ongeluckige voyagie, van’t schip Batavia were taken from The Western Mail of 24 December 1897. The Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, kindly permitted the digitization and publication of their issue of this newspaper.