As Beacon descended into an orgy of violence, smoke began to rise from West Wallabi, where Cornelisz had banished the soldiers. Though he had expected them to die there, the men had survived. Cornelisz quickly dispatched a group of his followers to the island with orders to murder anyone they found. But the soldiers had already made contact with some of the survivors from Seal and knew what their visitors had planned. Led by a man named Wiebbe Hayes, the soldiers fought off the mutineers and sent them sailing back.
Cornelisz was now in a difficult position. The soldiers could signal any passing ships and tell them of his crimes. Cornelisz knew he had to silence them first. Rather than fight, Cornelisz decided to try deception. With four mutineers, Cornelisz landed on the island and tried to coax Hayes away from his men with an offer to trade supplies. Hayes didn’t fall for the ploy and the soldiers overwhelmed the party, killing everyone but Cornelisz. The remaining mutineers launched a final assault with their muskets to free their leader. They began to overwhelm the soldiers, but just then, as if by divine intervention, a ship appeared on the horizon.
Despite all odds, Pelsaert had managed to reach a Dutch settlement and returned at the helm of a navy vessel. With Cornelisz in custody and facing Pelsaert’s cannons, the remaining mutineers surrendered. Pelsaert then began the grim task of justice. The most severe punishments were reserved for the ring-leaders like Cornelisz. Each had their right hand chopped off with a hammer and chisel- except for Cornelisz, who had both removed- and then were hanged on a crude gallows. During the trial, Jacobsz role in the mutiny was uncovered- though not proven- and he was hauled back to the Indies, where he died in prison.
A few of the other mutineers were also taken back to the colony and keel-hauled during the voyage. Keel-hauling was a common punishment in navies of the era and involved being dragged under the ship while it sailed, allowing the sharp barnacles on the hull to shred the skin of the victim. And of course, once they arrived, they too were executed. Only two of the mutineers on the island escaped execution. Instead, they were put ashore on the coast of Australia with a few supplies, technically making the pair the first Europeans to settle on the continent.
The whole episode put a strain on Pelsaert’s already weak health. Within a year, he was dead- another corpse in the “white man’s grave.” Hayes was widely hailed as a hero and promoted, at which point he disappears from the historical record. Lucretia Jans was unfairly charged as an accomplice in the murders but was acquitted and eventually returned to the Netherlands. It’s hard to say how many people died on the island, but at least half of the people on board the Batavia perished. Even today, the mass graves of the victims are being uncovered on the island, a grim reminder of the danger that can come from unchecked power being placed in the wrong hands.