About sunset they perceived a vessel between them and Thwart-the-way
Island, upon which they resolved to anchor as near the shore as they
could that night, and there wait the arrival of the ship. In the morning
they went on board her, in hopes of procuring arms for their defence, in
case the inhabitants of Java were at war with the Dutch. They found two
other ships in company, on board one of which was Mr. Ramburg, counsellor
of the Indies. Captain Pelsart went immediately on board his ship, where
he acquainted him with the nature of his misfortune, and went with him
afterwards to Batavia.

We will now leave the captain soliciting succours from the
Governor-General, in order to return to the crew who were left upon the
islands, among whom there happened such transactions as, in their
condition, the reader would little expect, and perhaps will hardly
credit! In order to their being thoroughly understood, it is necessary
to observe that they had for supercargo one Jerom Cornelis, who had been
formerly an apothecary at Harlem. This man, when they were on the coast
of Africa, had plotted with the pilot and some others to run away with
the vessel, and either to carry her into Dunkirk, or to turn pirates in
her on their own account. This supercargo had remained ten days on board
the wreck, not being able in all that time to get on shore. Two whole
days he spent on the mainmast, floating to and fro, till at last, by the
help of one of the yards, he got to land. When he was once on shore, the
command, in the absence of Captain Pelsart, devolved of course upon him,
which immediately revived in his mind his old design, insomuch that he
resolved to lay hold of this opportunity to make himself master of all
that could be saved out of the wreck, conceiving that it would be easy to
surprise the captain on his return, and determining to go on the
account--that is to say, to turn pirate in the captain's vessel. In
order to carry this design into execution, he thought necessary to rid