The sexy side of time travel
Time travel has been a popular topic in fiction for a very long … well… time. All of us could come up with a heap of examples, starting with HG Wells’ Time Machine and including the Back to the Future … Continued
The tents on Batavia’s Graveyard
When you’re writing about a particular time in history, it’s important to get the details right; what people wore, how they thought, what they ate. The life of the Dutch in the seventeenth century is well documented through the wonderful … Continued
An unforgettable milestone in the journey of life
I woke this morning to the news that Neil Armstrong had passed away. To me, that means two things; the end of an era and that unenviable feeling of being old. The things I’ve seen, the things that are a … Continued
Australia’s first white inhabitants
There is little doubt that Commandeur Pelsaert was much more lenient in his treatment of Cornelisz’s band of thugs than his masters in Batavia would have been. As mentioned in previous posts, Cornelisz and his major henchmen could count themselves … Continued
The mind of a psychopath
Quite a number of psychopaths have made names for themselves. Hitler, Napoleon, Stalin. Ted Bundy is another, more recent, example, as is Hannibal Lecter, featured in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. What about Jeronimus Cornelisz, erstwhile under merchant … Continued
What is it with vampires, anyway?
Sorry. I just don’t get it. Why would anybody find a vampire sexy? C’mon, folks. They ‘live’ in coffins during the day and crawl out at night to suck people’s blood. I don’t mind vampires per se, you understand. In … Continued
The ultimate punishment – breaking on the wheel
The Dutch merchantman Sardam, jammed to the gunwhales with treasure, survivors and prisoners, sailed into Batavia port on 5th December, 1629. The relief of all those people who had survived the wreck of the Batavia on the Abrolhos islands six … Continued
Ducking around
Our swimming pool attracts all sorts of critters and I suppose the most obvious one would be ducks. This pair landed in the water one day last year and started a bobbing courtship dance. Eventually the mating took place. She … Continued
Dropping from the yardarm
Continuing with the concept of suitable punishments while at sea, if you weren’t keelhauled you could be dropped from the yard. Masts and the accompanying yardarms were common on all ships (of course) and they provided a venue for a … Continued
Well, I’ll be keelhauled
Keelhauling was apparently invented by the Dutch. As I explained in an earlier post, torture was a part of life and if you were out at sea you didn’t have access to the accoutrements available in the better class of … Continued