In 1629, Dutch castaways on a tiny island faced a desperately murderous leader
by Futility Closet from on (#2T1KE)
In 1629, a Dutch trading vessel struck a reef off the coast of Australia, marooning 180 people on a tiny island. As they struggled to stay alive, their leader descended into barbarity, gathering a band of cutthroats and killing scores of terrified castaways. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll document the brutal history of Batavia's graveyard, the site of Australia's most infamous shipwreck.
We'll also lose money in India and puzzle over some invisible Frenchmen.