THE BATAVIA SHANTY John Warner’s song of the tragic and grisly tale of shipwreck, mutiny and slaughter in Houtman’s Abrolhos, a group of islands off the central coast of Western Australia, in 1629 by renegade sailors of the Dutch East India Company. Nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, tea Heave and fall on the southern swells Fill the holds of the VOC Roll Batavia down But down in stout Batavia’s hold There’s a massive weight of jewels and gold Quarter-million guilders worth, all told Roll Batavia down. For months the murderous plot’s been laid Heave and fall on the southern swells To slip away from the ships of trade Roll Batavia down Make passage south to the unknown land Turn buccaneer as the skipper has planned Slaughter all others out of hand Roll Batavia down. What’s that gleam on the larboard quarter? Heave and fall on the southern swells Moonlight glinting on the water Roll Batavia down No moonlight here, but the crashing wave The lookout cries too late to save Batavia from her island grave Roll Batavia down Now some did drown and some made land Heave and fall on the southern swells But few can hide from death’s cold hand Roll Batavia down The sword and dagger do their work Who knows where bloody murderers lurk To silence traitors with a dirk Roll Batavia down The commander’s gone and the captain too, Heave and fall on the southern swells Along with the best of the barge’s crew Roll Batavia down Protection that they might have made By this desertion is betrayed Throats stretched to the slaughterer’s blade Roll Batavia down The rescue ship has come too late Heave and fall on the southern swells For those who met a bloody fate Roll Batavia down The thieves have paid for their plunder dear Trial and torture, pain and fear Death for every mutineer Roll Batavia down Stark the creaking scaffolds stand Heave and fall on the southern swells The dead swing over the blowing sand Roll Batavia down They say that dead men tell no tales Who knows but many a spirit wails In the cold lament of the southern gales Roll Batavia down Batavia : Words and Tune : John Warner “The Batavia sailed with a convoy to Java on her maiden voyage in 1628, laden with jewels and gold for the Dutch East India Company (the VOC). In a plot by Jeronimus Cornelisz the vessel was parted from the fleet and inadvertently wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Western Australia. [While Captain Pelsaert and some crew sailed a longboat to Java to get help,] Over a two-month period Cornelisz and his companions slaughtered 125 of the 200 survivors of the wreck, planning to seize the rescue vessel and turn pirate. They were foiled by a group of loyal soldiers led by Wiebbe Hayes and [when Pelsaert returned,] a dreadful justice was finally meted out to Cornelisz and the other mutineers.” https://40degrees-south.com/cds/life-of-brine/notes/#2 The WIKI Tale : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batavia_(1628_ship) : of the 332 originally on board, 122 people made it to Java. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3ecidTxr18 – Daniel Kelly sings JW’s Batavia Shanty R-J
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