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


1866, in search Of this passage, who returned
having discovered Image Cape" the north
eastern extremity of the leland of Vagato, iu
100 29' north latitude. For several years after,
its attention was principally directed to prose-
cutting trade with the interior of Europe and
Asia, but no opportunity to obtain information
as to the northwest passage was neglected. ~
Christopher Hudson was much confded in by
the Company. by his advice fifteen vessels, in
1870, strongly manned and armed, because the
Baltic SEQ was infested by pirates, were dis.
patched to Muscovy to receive cargoes, ready
for them, under the command Of Burroughs
These pirates attacked his fleet, were defeated,
and five of their vessels captured touching
instance Of gratitude il related of fifty English
seamen-their request, on their knees, that tAe
pirate Admiral, Hance Snapke, their captive,
might be sent to England instead of to the Gear
of Muscoyy, because he had saved their lives
when his prisoners.tt
William Burroughs, born about 1910 was o
distinguished man. He sailed with Richard
Chancellor, in his famous voyage A. D. 1863 to
the bay of st. Nicholas, and shared in the dis
covery of Samsed and Nova zembla, and the
more perfect discovery of the coast of Lappia /;
was principal agent of the Muscovy Company,
and appointed by Queen Elizabeth Comptroller
of her navy. In the collections Of Hackluyt is
dedicatory epistle Of Burroughs to this Queen.
preiixed to his "great and notable" map Of
Russia, which contained his travels, observations
and experiments by sea and land, especially in
northern parts. The nephew Of this Burroughs,
named Christopher, wrote many letters to him,
concerning the sixth voyage Of the Muscovy
Company, in the parts of Persia and Media. It
The first recorded voyage Of Henry Hudson
was made in the service of the Muscovy Com
pany. He left GraVesend May lst, 1907, in.
tending to sail across the North Pole, by the
north of Greenland, but wall Of ice, extend
ing from it to Spitzbergen, forced him to relin-
quish the hope of passage in that direction
lie once more attempted the entrance Of Davis
Straits by the north of Greenland, but failed, as
did his like attempt in Tower latitude. In this
voyage Hudson reached q higher degree of
latitude than had been attained by any previous
navigator. He noted first the amelioratiou Of
the temperature Of the air, as he advanced north
wardly, and the changing color Of the sea near
Spitzbergen. lie returned 18th September,
lGO7.S2
Henry Hudson began his second voyage, April,
1908, for the MuscOvy Company with the de-
sign of finding passage to the Fest Indies by
the northeast. Ga June the Sd he reached lati-
tude $50 24t. In his journal, the 18th of June,
he enters" One of orr company, Thomas
Hilles, looking overheard saw q MERMAID, and
calling one more, Thomas Rayner, he also saw
it, By that time she was close, looking earnest
ly on the men, but soon after a sea overturned
her. From her navel upward she was like
woman, as large, too; her skin white, and her
hair long and black. 10 her going down they
saw her tail, like that of porpoise, and speckled
like that Of a mackerel." Hudson returned from
this second voyage to England July, 1908. Nh The
fruits of this voyage were many valuable oh.
servations, noted in his journal.
The employment Of Henry Hudson by the
Dutch East India Company requires a glance at
the connection Of the Dutch with the attempt to
discover the northwest passage. They intruded
into the trade with Russia, though granted ex-
cusiVely to the MuscOVy Company, Brunei, o
Belgian, in 15s0-15sl, explored the coast of
America to the mouth of the oby, visiting Nova
zembla. The shutting the port Of Lisbon
against the Dutch vessels, by Phillip the I'd,
which deprived them Of their lucrative trade in
East India commodities, was strong incentive
to seeking them from their original sources. In
1881 a Company was formed to trade to the
East, by the Cape Of Good Hope. William
Barren'sOn sailed the 10Th June, 1894, to dis.
cover northeastern passage to China, and re,
turned in September, having failed to do so. His
further rusuccessfpl voyages, in 1896 and 1896.
damped the ardor Of the Dutch, who, tSmporari-
ly, abandoned the attempt to discover the long
sought new route to India and Cathay. In the
meantime, Holland had supplanted England in
the Russian trade, and by doubling the Cape Of
Good Hope, had laid the foundation Of their
great East India trade. The Dutch East India
Company, created by combining several smaller
ones, became rich and powerful. Though their
charter only authorized them to trade to India,
by the Cape Of Good Hope and Straits Of Ma
gellanr they early thought Of finding passage
to India by tho northeast. The fear that COM
mercial rivals would find any shorter route to
the East induced them to invite Henry Hudson
to Holland. While there was delay, and iu-
deed apparent failure in the negotiation between
them, LIE Marie, an eminent merchant of AM
sterdam, almost succeeded in engaging Hudson
in the service of France. Alarmed lest they
should lose this eminent navigator, they at once
contracted with him to conduct voyage Of dis.
covery to the North. Firmly believing in an
open polar sea, and passage by u to India,
and urging his theory with the fervor of sin.
cerc conviction, he impressed his patrons with
this belief.
He was instructed to attempt passage around
the north and northeast Of Nova Zembla the
paltry sru of three hundred and eighty dollars
was paid him for his outfit, and eighty dollars
promised to his wife and children should be lose
his life. He conferred with the Directors of the
East India Company, and with eminent men
versed in the question, the solution OF which
was the object Of his ambition, and especially
Plantus, reformed minister of Amsterdam, de-
voted to the solving this problem, and sangune
Of success.
Hudson sailed oil Saturday, the 4th of April,
1909, from Amsterdam, in yacht of about
eighty tons burden, named the Half Moon, with
a motley crew of English and Dutch. Robert
Jewct, his clerk or secretary, kept the curious
journal of this voyage, to be found in the third
volume of Purchas. his Pilgrimage. The pur-
pose of Hudson was in conformity with his in
s,ructiOns. His own journal and papers he may
have submitted to the Dutch East India Com.