Page 195 - Loss of the VOC Retourschip Batavia, Western Australia, 1629

Figme49. ViewofthetownofBataviafromtheVingboom'sAtlasdatedfromthemid-1630s.showingtheWaterpoortwiththe completed portico, note that the crane has been moved t o the seaward side o f the castle and a small canal has been dug to enable small vessels to be unloaded in front of the gateway (Algemeen Rijksarchief VELH-619-32-G79204).
centre and surrounded by Ibe Arms oflbe Chambers orlbe V.O.C.(De[ft,RoUerdam,Amsterdam,Middleburg,Hoom and Enkhuisen).
More Iban ten Ibousand new arrivals from Ibe home- land are said to have disembarked in front of Ibe Water- poortatBataviaandmarchedlhroughit,intothecastle.For many, it was Ibe gateway to a miserable e"istence, but for some to a glorious future. For officials and Company servants returning home, it was a time for celebrations, festivities, toasts, and cannon salutes. I t has been said that the Waterpoort saw the arrival of many Ibousands of 'green' recruits, 'and the departure of considerably less 'veterans', many with e"tremely florid complexions.
On the following pages, a selection of the column blocksareillustrated,showingthevarious mason'smarks that indicate the respective levels on the column. In many cases, there are scour marks on the blocks which were almost certainly caused by sand abrasion on Ibe wreck site.Theconstantmovementofsandbackwardsandfor- wards across the surface of the blocks caused, in some cases, deep gouges. It is obviously beyond Ibe scope of this worlc: to illustrate each block individually.
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