Pelsaert, Francois (1590?-1630), was a Dutch navigator who charted part of the western coast of the Australian continent in 1629. His ship, Batavia, ran aground on the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, off the western coast. Pelsaert took some of his crew in a small boat and headed for Batavia, more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away. During his journey, he sailed about 500 miles (805 kilometers) up the mainland coast. In his absence, some of the crew mutinied and murdered more than 100 men and women. Pelsaert later returned to rescue the survivors and salvage much of the ship’s rich cargo. He died in September 1630 in Batavia.
