The insatiable seventeenth century European appetite for spices drew into competition Dutch, English and Portuguese mariners to bring back the priceless cargoes from the Spice Islands, in today's Indonesia. These were long and dangerous voyages in the seventeenth century to a part of the world that was far from Europe and little known.
The Dutch colonised the Spice Islands and other parts of what they called the Dutch East Indies - today's Indonesia. Some ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) brought settlers to these islands before returning laden with the precious spices.
In 1611, the VOC pioneered a new and healthier route to these islands. Ships sailed south from the Cape of Good Hope, then east and finally turned north to Batavia, todays Djakarta. This route was faster, but passed close to the just discovered and little known New Holland, the western coast of Australia.
Dutch mariners had mapped nearly all the Australian continent's coastline westward from Cape York. But most of the charts were incomplete and inaccurate and the barely known coast was treacherous for shipping. One of the most dangerous parts of the coast was near the point where ships that had crossed the Indian Ocean turned north towards Batavia. This area was named Houtman's Abrolhos.
On the night of 4 June 1629 the Batavia hit a reef off Abrolhos and stuck fast. The weather was stormy, with high winds and rain. The storm thwarted the crew in their attempts to lighten the ship and so escape the reef. It was realised that the ship was doomed and attempts were made to find land for the sailors and the large number of women and children on board.
Many of the passengers were discharged on two small rocky islets that were clear of water at high tide, while seventy people remained on the disintegrating ship.
The next problem was to find food and water.
Commander Francisco Pelsaert, and some of the men searched in small boats along the coast for water and food but were unsuccessful in finding any substantial sources of water.
Commander Pelsaert and most the officers, about 48 in all, then set out in a boat to reach the town of Batavia in the Dutch East Indies to seek help, leaving the rest of the passengers to their fate.
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