Several Attempts for the discovery of the North-West Passage.
WHat hath been discover'd of Sea in the North or South parts of the World, is of no less Consequence than what hath been discover'd of Land, and the Straight of Hudson Northward, is no less considerable than the Straight of Magellan South; we shall therefore compleat this Discourse of the Artick Region with a brief Mention of what Capes, Bays, Sounds, &c. have been found out by those that have attempted to find a Passage by the North-West to the East-Indies.
Not to insist upon the fabulous Stories of King Arthur's first conquering Ireland, and then Sailing into the Northern Seas, and subduing Scantia, Iseland, Groenland, and (as the Story saith) many other Islands beyond Norway even under the Pole, or of Malgo's subduing Ireland, Iseland, the Orcades and Norway, or Octher's Reports to King Alfred of his Voyages to the North-East parts beyond Norway, or the Voya∣ges of the two famous Venetian Brethren, Nicolo and Antonio Zeni, or of Marcus Pau∣lus Venetus, Odoricus and Vertomannus; the first English-man we hear of, that made an Expedition into those Northern Seas, was Sir Hugh Willoughby, before taken notice of for the Discovery of King James's Newland and Willoughby-Island, in the Year of our Lord 1553.
Stephen Burroughs (as hath been intimated) discover'd amongst other Places, about the Year 1556. the Straight of Vaigats.
In the Year 1576. Sir Martin Forbisher setting forth with two Barques, after he had been out about five Weeks, had sight of a High-land, which he nam'd Queen Elizabeths Foreland:* Thence Sailing more Northerly to the heighth of about sixty two Degrees, he descry'd a great Sea or Inlet, which he entred, and thence it took the Appellation of Forbisher's Straight.* About two years after proceeding to a farther discovery of it, he entred a good way into it, and took possession of the utmost Place he went to for Queen Elizabeth, who thereupon gave it the Name of Meta Incognita.
Anno 1580. Arthur Pett and Charles Jackman were sent out by the Russian Company, to make a Discovery of the River Ob, and passing the Straight of Waigats, took par∣ticular observation of the Islands and Places there, but not being able to pass much farther, by reason of the Ice, towards the latter end of the year they return'd.
In prosecution of this Discovery to the North-West, Captain John Davis of San∣druge in Devonshire, made three Voyages; his first Anno 1585. his second, 1587. in which he met with many strange Adventures; but the main thing that accru'd Page 673from these Voyages, was finding of a mighty Through-let between vast and desart Islands, to which his Name gave the Appellation of Fretum Davis,* or Davis's Straight.
The next that went upon this Design was Captain George Weymouth, who from the Year 1585 to 1602 made several Expeditions, which produc'd large Relations of strange Accidents that befell them, but little of Discovery farther than what had been made before.
Mr. James Hall, very noted for his Voyages to Groenland, (which before was by Captain Davis call'd Desolation) at his falling in with that Place nam'd a Head-land from then King of Denmark, Cape Christianus,* which some think to be no other than Cape Farewel.
Anno 1606. Mr. John Knight was set out by the King of Denmark, of the Passages of whose Voyage little or nothing memorable is recorded.
The next and most famous Attempter in the discovery of the North-Wast Passage, was Henry Hudson, who is said to have discover'd farther Northward to the Pole than any before him. From the Year 1607 to 1610 he made several Voyages, be∣ing set out by Sir Thomas Smith, Sir Dudley Diggs, and Mr. John Wostenholm, with others that were his great Friends, and Advancers of such publick Designs. In his last Voyage the Isles of Gods Mercy, Prince Henry's Foreland, King James's Cape, Queen Annes Cape, Digg's Island, Cape Wostenholm, The King's Foreland, Mount Charles, Cape Salisbury, &c. were first taken notice of and nam'd, and, which were his princi∣pal Discoveries, and therefore worthily retaining his Name,*Hudson's Straight and Bay; but in his return homeward he was set upon in his Cabbin by one Green, Wil∣son, and others of their Conspiracy, and together with his Son John Hudson, Tho. Widdows. Arn. Ludlow, Sidrach Faner, and two or three more, was put over into a small Shallop, in which they were forc'd to seek their Fortune, and in all likeli∣hood perish'd, for they were never heard of after. Nor long after Green going on Shore upon a strange Island, was shot from an Ambuscade of Salvages into the Heart; the like End has Wilson, and three more of the Conspirators dy'd of their mortal Wounds, the rest with much ado got home in a very sick and weak Condi∣tion, through the Hardships the had sustain'd, and want of Provisions.
There was also another Hudson, who Anno 1608. went to the height of eighty one Degrees, and gave Names to certain Places, which continue to this day, as Whale-Bay, Hackluit's Headland, and Hudson's Touches.
By the Assistance of Prince Henry, and those other Noble Persons above men∣tion'd, Captain Thomas Button set out in the Year 1612. and is said to have pass'd Hudson's Straight, and leaving Hudson's Bay to the South, to have Sail'd two hundred Leagues South-Westward over a Sea above eighty Fathoms deep, which at length he discover'd to be another great Bay, since call'd Button's Bay:* He is said also to have discover'd a great Continent, which he call'd New Wales.
Several other Voyagers there were in this great Attempt of the North-West Pas∣sage, as Captain Gibbons, Robert Bylot, William Baffins, and Captain William Hawkridge, who though they all came short of the main Enterprize, yet every one found out some new Cape, Bay, or Promontory, or open'd a farther Passage than had been before, as Bylot made known Cape Comfort; Baffin,* the Inlet call'd from him Baffins Bay, as also Sir James Lancaster's Sound; Hawkridge, a farther Passage into Lumly's Inlet.
From the Year 1616. to 1631. the Business slept, and then a Voyage was under∣taken by Captain Luke Fox, who at his Return gave very good hopes and encou∣ragement, that the Work, so long in prosecution, was not impossible to effected; nevertheless, by reason of the late troublesom Times i•〈…〉 wholy laid Page 674aside for almost forty years; but in the Year 1668. several Persons of Honor un∣dertook to revive the Work, and to that purpose furnish'd out two Ships, which set forth in June, and return'd about the beginning of October the Year following, giving so satisfactory an Account of their Voyage, that in the Year 1670. the same Adventurers thought fit to send out two Ships more, so furnish'd, as to endure a Wintering there, which they did, with greater hopes than ever of finding out the North-West Passage, besides a handsom Ca•go of rich Furrs, which made it more than a saving Voyage; so that 'tis suppos'd this will not be the last Attempt, but that another will suddenly follow. And it may well be observ'd, that nothing considerable hath been done, in this grand Enterprize, but by the English.
