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1666. September. Tuesday 14th ditto.... For three days the news started to come, how the lord of Gottho to this Cities [to] Governor Zinsabrod.e by means of a missive had made known that there were eight Europeans, dressed in a curious way and with a strange kind of vessel, on his islands had arrived, and that he thought to send them on the first occasion of [favorable] weather and wind to Nangasackij; the same news was told at every hour with so many changes in the circumstances of the same, that one didn't know what to think, less to write, till early today morning, when [we] understood that the mentioned vessel and the people last night from Gottho appeared here and that all kinds [of questions] have been asked to them, an hour after the afternoon were sent with us on the island and found to be eight Dutchmen who ao 1653 the Jacht de Sparwer because of a five day long terrible storm on August 16 on the Quelpaerts Island had helped to loose [=shipwreck], being eight persons called
I don't want to meddle nor experience to tell here in length what previously mentioned persons experienced during that time of 13 year, in which they have wandered amongst the islanders, while the same would demand a wider description in itself but want to say only shortly how miserable people and another 28 persons, who beside them, together 36 souls of mentioned Jagt de Sparwer were saved and on the previously mentioned Quelpaerts island came ashore, first were kept there for the time of 8 months and were brought afterwards to the islands of Corre, were often brought from one place to the other substantially usually very sober and poorly treated, such now and then 20 persons from their company came to die and they 16 [men] strong left over, of which, at the departure of the previously mentioned eight people from Corre, eight were still alive and were spread here and there in the country, except three who they, to give the least suspicion on their escape, left in their house, are called
The Governor Zinsabrode, when he sent the first mentioned eight persons with us on the island, had us also told, by means of the interpreters, that we might treat the same well and reminded us how miraculous [it was] that they were saved from their misery and that they had risked their lives, to regain their freedom, with such a bad vessel, [for] such a long distance. His excellency also wanted to write about this to Jedo and after [having] received answer, [would] give us orders how we had to handle further with these people. We had his excellency express our thanks for these good precautions and said that we thought that we would comply obediently to his orders. Before mentioned persons had left in the evening of the 4th of this month with a small vessel from Corre and because of a continuous North wind [they] were lead next to the islands of Gottho, where they, the 10th ditto, because of a strong South wind, were forced (though against their will) to seek harbor there, without knowing where they were and if they came to friends or enemies. In my opinion, it is remarkable that, when the saved people were on the island Quelpaert, and in 8 months [one did] not knew what one wanted to do with them, [then] there came from Corre an old man to them, looking like a Dutchman (being apparently called upon by the lord of the island and cared for by the king of Corre), who after having watched them for a long time, in the end in cromduijts [bad or broken Dutch] asked what kind of people are you and understanding from them that they were Hollanders, said, I am also a Hollander, born in De Rijp, and was called Jan Jansz. Weltevreen and have been here already for 26 years, told furthermore how he had sailed ao 1627 on th' Jacht Ouwerskerck, item that he sailing on a certain junk, by means of the mentioned Jagt in this Northern water taken, was transferred and around these islands had fallen, with some of his companions sailed ashore to take water and with two others of his company were captured by the Chinese, with as incidental circumstance, that before mentioned two mates at the time that these islands were taken by the Tartarians, were killed; mentioned Jan Jansz. Weltevreen was on the departure of often mentioned 8 persons from Corre still alive and a man of more then 70 years old. In Dagh-register or Dagelijckse aenteijckeninge van 't gepasseerde en voorgevallene in Japan ten Comptoire Nangasakij gehouden bij den oppercoopman (Daily notes of that what passed in Japan at the office Nangasakij kept by the head merchant) Wilhelm Volger, Chief at that place, beginning October 28 anno 1665 till October 18, 1666. Nat. Arch. no.11689. Copy also on Letters coming over1667 Second book K. A. no. 1149). Foornote, thanks to Dr. W.A.M. Peters Center for the Study of Giftedness
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