Crocodiles and ostriches in Korea

After staying at Jeju for some time, the shipwrecked crew was transported to the Korean mainland and brought to the king. The Dutch were not allowed to return to their home country, but rather were forced to remain in exile in Korea. During this time, the crew were sent to various parts of Korea, where they were given an allowance of food, but were strictly forbidden to attempt to leave the country. A small number of men, including Hendrik Hamel, managed to escape in a small boat in 1666 after staying in Korea for 13 years. Hamel’s journal of his time in Korea includes an elaborate description of the people, culture and habits of the Koreans. However, in order to spice up the story, the publisher embellished the story with passages on wild animals that were not written by Hamel at all. In this image we see an entirely fictional account of crocodiles and ostriches in Korea.