The Portland gazette., 1818-07-14

49, China was Sir Martin Frobisher, who, in
several VOYAGES, made divers new discoveries Oh
large BAYS, streights, islands, capes &c. ana hn-
posed on them different Names"
His voyages however seem to have peen Pr.h-
cipally among the islands about Hudson.s 0lfales
and the coasts of Labrador, between os ana %
N. lat; where he established friendly inter
course with the natives, exchanged toys Tor sai-
mon and other fish, brought away some marcas-
ties mistaken for gold ore, discovered siiVeS
mine (probably not more sterling,) and took pos
session of the South shore of the Isle OF Good
Fortune, under the name Of Meta lncognita.
Arthur Pett and Charles Jackman, in 1880,
followed Stephen Burroughs track, passed
Waygat Straits, got among the ice to the last
ward, and encour tered such peril and labour THAI
they separated and Petit was never more
heard of.
In 1585-6-7, Mr.. John Davis sailed to the East
coast of Greenland, giving his name to the Straits
between that coast and James Island. At Cape
DesolatiOn,
"He found many pieces Of fur and wool Like
beaver and exchanged some commodities with
the natives who often repaired to him IN their
canoes, bringing stag skins, white haFes, small
cod, muscles, &C."
He reached no higher than 70 y. The Dutch
about this time began to be reused to sense OF
from these Northern Expeditions, hitherto exclu-
sively pursued by the English. About 1878,
they first appeared at Kola, in Lapland, and
r;yalship Of the Russia Company ensuing, they,
IN 1894, sent VIM Barents on voyage to DIS
cover the passage to the Indies.
g In 1896, the same VIM. Barents, accompa-
MED with two other Dutch pilots, viz. Jacob
Hcemskirk and John Cornelius Ryp, first discov-
cred Bear or Cherry Island, and passed from
thence to Greenland but Barents being separa-
ted from them, sailed along the coasts OF Nova
Zembla TO the rs deg. of n. lat, until at length
his ship was driven ashore, and broke in pieces
by the ice, that all the mariners were compel
led to winter there, and endured the utmost ex-
tremity Of cold"
Poor Bsrents died before they got back to
Kola.
In 1908, the euterPrising Hudson was sent
forth to discover the North Pole, and sailed
(says our authority even to 81 degrees of N.
latitude but being satisfied that there was no
Northeast passage, he was appointed to make
the like trial in the Northwest seas. Therefore,
in 1910, he set sail again, and proceeded 100
leagues farther than any had done before---
But the ice hindered him from continuing his
course farther, and the sedition OF has men from
returning home"
Hence. however, Hudson's Straits and Bay,
Sir Thomas Button prosecuted the discoveries in
the same quarter and in 1926 James Hall
and William Bafiin proceeded much farther IN
the Northwest parts, and imposed names on d.
verse places discovered BY them.
During the first half of this century a number
of Expeditions were fitted out from Denmark,
but did little towards extending the geographl-
cal knowledge of the Polar seas. Our own in
vestigations seem to have languished fro-n Baf-
fms trip in 1916, till that of Capt. Luke toA
an 1850:
8 He traced Frobisher, Hudson, Davis, Button,
and Bafin, meeting with whales, much ice and
fowls, &c
In 1881, near Port Nelson, he met Captain
James, whose very interesting narrative was
published by the special command Of Charles |.
in 1888, Woods Voyage, in 1916, proceeded no
further than 76 n. lat. where he lost his ship on
the coast ofNova Zembla, and returned home IN
the Prosperous Pink, which accompanied him.
Such were the chief expeditions at the close
ofthe sixteenth and during the seventeenth CEN
turies f; and when we consider the state of the
appointments and the frail nature Of the ships
employed, we shall not only be surprised at the
extent Of their Investigations, but be led to en-
tertain sanguine hopes of much further progress
from such vessels as have now sailed on a sini-
lar mission, with al the aids OF science attached
to them.
Of Greenland (Groenland, Groenlandia, or
Grainland) we are told that the Eastern and
Western sides are encompassed with two vast
oceans.
This land is supposed to have been first discov-
cred by Norwegian gentleman, named Erie
Rotcop, or Redhead, who, having committed
murder in Island Qceland,) to save his life at
tempted to make his escape into another coun-
try, whereof he had only heard some OBJ scure fly
ing reports. This gentleman was SO fortunate as
to get safe to the harbour of SandsbdSin, lying
between two mountains, promontorles, one on an
isle over against Greenland, which he called
Hiadsurhen or WhitS Shirt, by reason of its being
covered with snow the other on the continent
bearing the name of Huarf Erie. He wintered
in the island, and afterwards passing into the
continent, imposed on it the name of Greenland
or Gfeenlans, from its fourishng verdeur. His
son being sent TO CLAUS Trigger, king of Norway,
TO procure pardon, easily obtained it upon in
formation of the new discovery. Thus, in pro-
cess oft time, plantation was settled there, and
two cities were built, viz. Garde and .4lbe; the
latter was honored with a Bishops See, and the
residence OF the Norwegian Viceroy, the Cethe-
dral Church being dedicated to ST. Antony.
However, these new inhabitants having been
long since destroyed, either by the natives, the
rage OF the epidemical disease called the black
plague, or otherwise, very little intelligence con-
corning Greenland has come to us since the wear
l349. Nevertheless, in 1889 (as they saw the
fAng OF Denmark determining to re-establsh his
dominion in those parts, sent fleet th;ther
which having suffered shipwreck, he was dis
couraged from any farther enterprise, until Of