Hello everyone. It's us, your hosts Maddie Pelling and Anthony Delaney.

But before we begin the show, we want to ask for a few seconds of your time.

If you're enjoying After Dark, and we love you, if you are, we would love you just a little bit more.

If you could vote for us in the listeners choice category at the British Podcast Awards.

So go to the show notes now, click the link and just then search for After Dark.

Fill in your name and your email and don't forget to confirm. They will send you an email.

You need to confirm. The whole process probably takes about 30 seconds.

If you've already voted, we are so, so grateful. If you haven't, stop what you are doing right now.

Vote for us before you enjoy this show.

Hello and welcome to After Dark, the podcast where we sail deep into the dark heart of the past

and never stop in this episode with the nautical puns. In today's episode, we are going to tell

you the story of a 17th century Dutch shipwreck that turned into something so much more.

1629, the early hours of the morning of the 4th of June off the coast of Western Australia.

The Dutch ship, Batavia, weighing in 600 tonnes, is sailing under a setting

moon. More than 300 men, women and children are asleep on board. Gilded designs spiral around

the ship's stern, looming high on the waves, reminiscent perhaps of the frontage of one

of Amsterdam's ornate houses. For now, all within her are well. But then there's a shuddering,

bumping crash, and what had appeared just moments ago to be moonlight dancing off the sea,

transforms horribly now to surf breaking on

shallow rocks. The ship begins to sway violently on the reef, as inside its occupants wake from

slumber panicked and forced from bunks or their watchposts to the grimy floor of the deck.

Shouts arise as the crew struggle to gain control,

...