Fate of The Crew
Unlike its predecessor, the Batavia which was wrecked in 1629, the Jacht (as its type of fast ship was known) immediately began to break up.
Only 75 survivors (of 193 originally on board) made it to shore. They then quickly dispatched a small boat with the Understeersman and six others to Batavia to seek help. They arrived 40 days after the wrecking and reported that as they sailed away they saw the other survivors trying to refloat a larger boat that had capsized in the surf while landing.
Two vessels were immediately sent south in search, but they failed in difficult conditions to sight either the wreckage or the survivors. Eleven men and a boat were also lost during the search.
In January 1658 two other ships were sent out in search but also proved unsuccessful. A boat from one of these vessels commanded by Abraham Leeman also disappeared, but it successfully returned to Batavia, arriving nearly six months after having been given up as lost.
Read more about this topic: Vergulde Draeck
Famous quotes containing the words fate of the, fate of, fate and/or crew:
“The fate of the State decides theirs: clauses of treaties determine their affections.”
—Pierre Corneille (1606–1684)
“Such is the fate of simple Bard,
On life’s rough ocean luckless starr’d:”
—Robert Burns (1759–1796)
“I’d like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.
May no fate willfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth’s the right place for love:
I don’t know where it’s likely to go better.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“Nor aught availed him now
To have built in heav’n high tow’rs; nor did he scape
By all his engines, but was headlong sent
With his industrious crew to build in hell.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)