The Gilt Dragon Incident
A historical novel by Harry Turner

Available from:

VOC Historical Society Inc.  

 Email: heritagewa@iinet.net.au

RRP $27.00 plus $4.50 postage

This is a fictional account of the final voyage of the United (Dutch) East Indies Company) ship Vergulde Draeck or Gilt Dragon from the Netherlands bound for the East Indies (now Indonesia)  in 1655.  

She was carrying, apart from passengers and crew, cargo, trade goods and silver coins worth 185,000 guilders. She never reached her destination.

On the 28 April 1656, many hundreds of miles from her destination, she ran onto a reef 5 kms off the western coast of the Southland between the present day towns of Guilderton and Ledge Point in Western Australia 

When the 75 survivors (out of 193) had gathered ashore it was decided to send a party of sailors to Batavia, in the one schuyt (small boat) which had been saved from the wreck, to report the tragedy and ask for a rescue vessel to be sent.

This is an account of an epic journey and its aftermath. It tells the story of one Abraham Leeman - the understeersman (second mate) of the ship - and his heroic efforts in getting help and then returning to look for his true love, other survivors and the treasure ....

This is an absorbing story of love, drama, courage and determination based on historical facts which Harry Turner spend many years researching.