INTO THE UNKNOWN

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1929, Page 7

INTO THE UNKNOWN

HUDSON’S ARCTIC VOYAGES. Henry Hudson is the outstanding maritime explorer of the early part of the 17th century, but there .s nothing authentically known regarding liis career except during the last four years of his life, in each of which he made a daring voyage into the Arctic regions, with the object of discovering a navigable passage to China through the northern eas, and although he failed to accomplish this object the discoveries which he did make led to several new fields being opened to British enterprise.

The first two of the four voyages, which were made in 1607 and 1608 respectively, were undertaken on beliealf of the Muscovy Company, and on each of them Hudson made a vain search for a northern passage.In 1605 lie sailed further north than had been reached by earlier English navigation, and brought home with him information which resulted m the establishment of the rich British whale fisheries at Spitsbergen. His voyage in the following year was barren of results, for his progress was ibarred by bad weather, heavy ice and shifting currents, and on his return home the Muscovy Company refused to finance a third expedition.

Hudson was promptly engaged by the Dutch East India Company, and in March, 1609, lie sailed from Amsterdam with two ships. Once again lie failed to find a sea route in the north-east and he turned to the northwest, but severe weather and a mutinous crew prevented him from proceeding further north than Newfoundland. He, howovr, cruised up and down the eastern coast of North America, and in the course of tins voyage ho explored the Jdudson Ituei for a, distance of 150 miles. U.n l'is return voyage to Holland he put in at Dartmouth Harbour, on the south coast of England, where his ship was seized by the British Government, and ho was forbidden to leave England again except in the service cf his own country.

The last and most famous of Hudson’s four voyages was financed by jl.hreM English gentlemen, who provided him" with a small vessel of fifty-five tons known as the Discovery. The little ship was fitted out for a long voyage, and the object was once again to endeavour to find a passage through the polar seas to the other side of the world.

Hudson sailed from London on April 17, 1610, with the intention of seeking a north-western passage y.a Daviis Strait, and in the following August he entered the great inland sea which now hears his name, namely Hudson Bay. In spite of foul weather and heavy ico he explored the eastern shore of The bay until November 10, when the ship was imprisoned in the ico and Hudson was compelled to set up winter quarters -tn the south-west corner of James Bay. During the winter the crew of tile Discovery suffered great privations owing to the scarcity of food, ,_and soon after the ship was released from the ice in the following spring a mutiny broko out on board, which culminated in Hudson being cast adrift in the Arctic seas. He and his young son., four loyal members of the crew and three sick men were forced into a small boat and left to perish from starvation and exposure amid the floating ice. , Nothing more was seen or ueara of the abandoned men. Three months late the Discovery arrived back m England, where the surviving members of the villanous crew were thrown into prison. The discoveries made by Hudson on his last voyage resulted, sixtv years later, in the formation of tho Hudson Bay Company, winch was destined to play such an important part in the early development of the Canadian North-west. Hudson was not the original discoverer of the great bay, the straits and the river which perpetuate his name, for they had already been visited by some of the earlier adventurers in the northern seas, and were marked on the rough maps then in existence, but lie was the first mariner to sail up the Hudson River and to the southern limits of Hudson Baj.