Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-07-31


ruins of London, devote himself to chronicln
the steps of her declensiOn, aud its sad catastro
ply.
Trade was carried on between the ancien
Britons and Gauls, who exchanged manufacture
for the raw commodities of their neighbors-
Rome, when she conquered Britain, introduces
foreign traffic, which ceased on her fall. TIL
Saxons effaced many of her improvements, aut
mad no trade, beyond barter, among themselves
The Danes, masters for a short period in Eng
land, being maritime people, prosecuted, it il
probable, some foreign commerce, which, unde
the Norman rule, sometimes checked and q
others encouraged gradually attained SO mucl
Importance that in the reign of Henry the I'll
the first voyage of discovery undertaken by
Engshmen was palfonized by that monarch
and commanded by Cabot, who discovered the
main land of North America
| While Europe looked with admiration, per
haps not untinctured with envy, on the discove.
ries of the Portuguese and their just reward, il
was startled by that grand event THE DISCOVERY
OF AMERICA, which inspired throughout Chris
tendon passion for voyages of exploration
and turned the speculations of students, and the
daring and enterprise Of men Of action, to the
opening Of new channels Of traffic, and especially
to the discovery of shorter route to India and
Cathay than the Known one. England was nc
exception from this new impulse not only hei
merchants, but her statesmen, her mobiles, and
her gentry shared it. Capital was readily fur
nished, Oud Associations formed for foreign
commerce and voyages of discovery The first
OF these enterprises was the voyage of VIII
loughby, A. D. 1868. After untold hardshipt
and dreadful sutIerings, two of his three ships
reached m obscure harbor on the desolate coas
of Lapland, where their crews perished, found
by Russian fishermen, who boarded their vessels
frozen to death, the gallant Willoughby seated
at table in his cabin, with q pen in his hand, X
and his ships journal before him.. on the paget
OF which we're recorded his unavailing efforts tC
escape his appalling death. The ships, with
the dead bodies of their crews, were sent tC
England, but the collins of these brave mer
foundered on the vOyage.t
One of WillOughby's ships, the BuonoVcnture,
commanded by Burroughs, famous afterwards
as voyager, reached the Durna, and he travel.
ed overland to the Court Of the Gar of Russia,
was graciously received, and prepared the way
for the commercial and political relations be.
tween that empire and England, still subsstng
The trade between England and Russia was
carried on by Company known first by the
name Of " Merchant Adventures and Society
for the Discovery of Unknown Lands" which
Queen Mary chartered 9Th February, 1866. In
1866 they obtained EN- 'tAct of Parliament" in
which, they were styled "The Fellowship oil
English Merchants, for The Discovery Of New
Trades )" but they ore best kno, ! by the desig-
nation Of " "Musoovy or Russian Company
The connection between Henry Hudson and this
Company rendered necessary this careful state
ment of its origin. Among the active Orignators
of this Company were the Lord Treasurer, Lord
Steward, Lord Privy Seal, and Lord High Ad-
miral of the Realm Of England.t
Queen Elizabeth, 1lth June, 1878, erprted
letters-patent to Sir Humphrey Gilbert to dis
cover and take possession of al remote and
barbarOus lands uuoccupied by any Christian
Prince or people. Under this grant he made r1
unsuccessful voyage, having been forced to re-
turn to England, with the loss Of fine ship
Undismayed by Ills misfortune, he 80 commend
ed second voyage to the investigation of irdu-
ential men, that he was enabled to commence it
from Plymouth, 1lth June, 1888, with fleet of
five ships, one Of which, on the 18th of the same
month, forsook him, and returned to England.
This was the ominous commencement of series
Of misfortunes which eliminated, September
! 9th, in 'he same year, in the loss Of Sir Henry
Gilbert and the little frigate in which he was re-
turning home, after taking possession of New
Found Land.S
The Address" contains much interesting
matter, gathered from various sources, in rela-
ton to the Hudson family, the various spelngs
of the name having made it difficult to trace
and fix the relationship of its members and to
avoid mistakes in the appropriation of facts.-
In overcoming both these difficulties, the sue
cess of the " Address" is signal, its reasoning
clear, and its cODjectures plausible. The follow
ing are its conclusions Henry Hudson, the
discoverer of the Delaware bay and river, was
the descendant, probably the grandson, of Henry
Hudson the elder, who died an aldermen of
London, A. D. 1865, and was one of the found
ers aud maintainers Of the Muscovy Company,
and Christopher Hudson, much confded in by
this body, was his relation. Perhaps the notice
Of the funeral Of this Alderman, which we ven-
ture to extract, will be read with interest.
1.-THE Goth day of December 1861 was
buried, at St. Dunstan's, in the East Master
Harry Hudson, Alderman of London, skinner
and one Of the Masters Of the Hospital of Grey
Friars, with "a men and women in frieze gowns
and mantes, and hearse of wax ESQ called be-
cause Of the wax tapers disposed on and about
il, 4 hung with black. There were my Lord
Mayor and Sword Bearer, in black, and divers
other Aldermen, in black, at his burying, and
all the masters with green stails in their hands,
and four men, in black gowns, bearing four
great saif-torches, burning; ION the morrow
there were four mass -songs); and after to the
place his late dwelling to dinner; aud there
were four goodly white branches, and many
priests and clerks, singing. We have, page rs,
an account of the funeral of Lady Barnes, wife
of a member Of the Mnscovy Company, q man
of mark, much like the one above given, closing
with the words, there was a noble dinner OF
these funeral feasts of our British forefaihers
We remember traces in our boyhood "l-Ad-
drsssp. 50, 30, IS, 10.
Young men, having received a good elementary
education at the cost Of the Company, were sent
to Muscovy as clerks, to buy and sell gools,
and as agents to open and extend its trade and
others were placed in the COmpanys ships to
learn seamanship and navigation, thus breeding
up seamen at the rate of four score year,
great benefit to their country. The Address
contends, most plausibly, that Henry Hudson,
so conspicuous in this Company's service, and
whose relations were its ablest and warmcst