Leendert Hasenbosch
Encyclopedia
Leendert Hasenbosch, was a Dutchman, an employee of the Dutch East India Company
(VOC) who was set ashore as a castaway
on uninhabited Ascension Island
in the South Atlantic Ocean, as a punishment for sodomy
. He wrote a diary until his death.
, Holland in 1695. Around the year 1709 his father, a widower, moved himself and his three daughters to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies
(Modern Indonesia
) while Leendert stayed in Holland. Late in 1713, Hasenbosch became a soldier of the Dutch East India Company
, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, henceforth VOC) and boarded a ship in Enkhuizen
bound for Batavia where he served for about a year. From 1715 to 1720 he served in Cochin, a Dutch possession at the time. In 1720 he returned to Batavia and was promoted to corporal. He later became a military writer, responsible for small-scale bookkeeping. In 1724, he took a position aboard a VOC ship as the ship's bookkeeper. On April 17, 1725, Hasenboch was convicted of sodomy
following the ship's compulsory stop in Cape Town
. On May 5, 1725, he was set ashore on Ascension Island
as punishment.
. He began with a tent, a month's-worth of water, some seeds, instruments, prayer books, clothing and writing materials. He searched the barren island for water. Unable to find any, he began drinking the blood of green turtles and seabirds, as well as his own urine. He likely died of thirst after about six months.
Ascension Island
does have two sources of fresh water: a strong water spring in the high interior of the island (in what is now called Breakneck Valley), and a much smaller water source named Dampier's Drip. One of these two water sources allowed some sixty men from HMS Roebuck
to survive a shipwreck on Ascension for two months starting in February 1701.
In 1726 the diary was first published under the title "Sodomy Punish'd". In 1728 another version, entitled "An Authentick Relaton", was published. The version of 1726 mentions the name of the castaway, misspelled as "Leondert Hussenlosch" but the version of 1728 states that the man's name is unknown. The qualities of both translations are uncertain since the original diary has been lost. Apart from entries about desperate searches for water and firewood, a few entries mention the man's act of sodomy
. A few entries can be interpreted as reflections of a guilty conscience, including the apparitions of demons and former friends and acquaintances.
In 1730 another version was published under the title "The Just Vengeance of Heaven Exemplify'd". This version contains many extra anti-sodomy passages as well as many extra demons harassing the castaway. The publisher also wrote that the castaway's skeleton would have been found alongside the diary - which never happened.
In 1976 the American author Peter Agnos published "The Queer Dutchman", an extension and embellishment of the version of 1730. Moreover, Peter Agnos fabricated 18th century personalities (the castaway, his partner in his act of sodomy
, his captain, etc.) and even 18th century Dutch documents.
Many authors about sodomy
, Ascension Island
or castaway
-stories read either the version of 1730 or the version of 1976 and decided to include parts in their own publications, not realising they were quoting from a fake story.
In 2002 a Dutch book "Een Hollandse Robinson Crusoë" was published, written by the Dutch historian Michiel Koolbergen (1953-2002) after he had done many years of research in Dutch and British archives; sadly, Koolbergen was already dead at the moment of publication. Koolbergen had identified the castaway as "Leendert Hasenbosch" by his work in archives; Koolbergen was aware of all English versions of the diary except that of 1726. Koolbergen's book also contained the relevant texts in the logs of the two English ships whose crews had found the diary in January 1726.
In 2006 the full story was - with the support of Koolbergen's family and publisher - published by Alex Ritsema, with the book "A Dutch Castaway on Ascension Island in 1725"; a second, revised edition was printed in 2010.
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
(VOC) who was set ashore as a castaway
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
on uninhabited Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
in the South Atlantic Ocean, as a punishment for sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. He wrote a diary until his death.
Early life
Leendert Hasenbosch was likely born in The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Holland in 1695. Around the year 1709 his father, a widower, moved himself and his three daughters to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
(Modern Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) while Leendert stayed in Holland. Late in 1713, Hasenbosch became a soldier of the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, henceforth VOC) and boarded a ship in Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen
Enkhuizen is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.Enkhuizen was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, just like Hoorn and Amsterdam, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. It received city rights in 1355...
bound for Batavia where he served for about a year. From 1715 to 1720 he served in Cochin, a Dutch possession at the time. In 1720 he returned to Batavia and was promoted to corporal. He later became a military writer, responsible for small-scale bookkeeping. In 1724, he took a position aboard a VOC ship as the ship's bookkeeper. On April 17, 1725, Hasenboch was convicted of sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
following the ship's compulsory stop in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. On May 5, 1725, he was set ashore on Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
as punishment.
Cast away life
During his time as a castaway, Hasenbosch kept a diaryDiary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
. He began with a tent, a month's-worth of water, some seeds, instruments, prayer books, clothing and writing materials. He searched the barren island for water. Unable to find any, he began drinking the blood of green turtles and seabirds, as well as his own urine. He likely died of thirst after about six months.
Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
does have two sources of fresh water: a strong water spring in the high interior of the island (in what is now called Breakneck Valley), and a much smaller water source named Dampier's Drip. One of these two water sources allowed some sixty men from HMS Roebuck
HMS Roebuck
Fourteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Roebuck after a small deer native to the British Isles. was a flyboat purchased in 1585. was a 10-gun vessel launched in 1636 and sunk in 1641 as a result of a collision. was a 14-gun ship captured in 1646 and commissioned into the Royalist Navy...
to survive a shipwreck on Ascension for two months starting in February 1701.
The legend
In January 1726 British sailors discovered the castaway's tent and things, including the diary in Dutch. The British concluded that a Dutchman had been set ashore as a punishment for sodomy. They did not find a skeleton but they were pretty sure that the man had died of thirst. The diary was brought to Britain.In 1726 the diary was first published under the title "Sodomy Punish'd". In 1728 another version, entitled "An Authentick Relaton", was published. The version of 1726 mentions the name of the castaway, misspelled as "Leondert Hussenlosch" but the version of 1728 states that the man's name is unknown. The qualities of both translations are uncertain since the original diary has been lost. Apart from entries about desperate searches for water and firewood, a few entries mention the man's act of sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. A few entries can be interpreted as reflections of a guilty conscience, including the apparitions of demons and former friends and acquaintances.
In 1730 another version was published under the title "The Just Vengeance of Heaven Exemplify'd". This version contains many extra anti-sodomy passages as well as many extra demons harassing the castaway. The publisher also wrote that the castaway's skeleton would have been found alongside the diary - which never happened.
In 1976 the American author Peter Agnos published "The Queer Dutchman", an extension and embellishment of the version of 1730. Moreover, Peter Agnos fabricated 18th century personalities (the castaway, his partner in his act of sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
, his captain, etc.) and even 18th century Dutch documents.
Many authors about sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
, Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
or castaway
Castaway
A castaway is a person who is cast adrift or ashore. While the situation usually happens after a shipwreck, some people voluntarily stay behind on a deserted island, either to evade their captors or the world in general. Alternatively, a person or item can be cast away, meaning rejected or discarded...
-stories read either the version of 1730 or the version of 1976 and decided to include parts in their own publications, not realising they were quoting from a fake story.
In 2002 a Dutch book "Een Hollandse Robinson Crusoë" was published, written by the Dutch historian Michiel Koolbergen (1953-2002) after he had done many years of research in Dutch and British archives; sadly, Koolbergen was already dead at the moment of publication. Koolbergen had identified the castaway as "Leendert Hasenbosch" by his work in archives; Koolbergen was aware of all English versions of the diary except that of 1726. Koolbergen's book also contained the relevant texts in the logs of the two English ships whose crews had found the diary in January 1726.
In 2006 the full story was - with the support of Koolbergen's family and publisher - published by Alex Ritsema, with the book "A Dutch Castaway on Ascension Island in 1725"; a second, revised edition was printed in 2010.