Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
NORTH w EST PASSAGE
ANNALS OF FOUR CENTURIES,
QUEST FOR IT.
Rivals the Search for the Pole in
Arctic Exploration--Nors
the First to Try for It.


of the ice-bound desolation of the north,
associated for nearly four centuries with
the most persistent endeavors of voyagers
of nearly all nations, and remaining ,Inpen-
etrated and chimerical almost to the dawn
OF the present day, the quest of the north
west Passage rivals the search for the
pole in the annals of arctic exploration
The earlier attempts to locate this water
way to the tabled riches and splendor of
the orient Were prompted solely by reasons
or commercial expediency, for the purpose
or hnding the shortest route between Eua
rope and Cathay: but the utter imprac-
tcabflity of this became evident to Euro
pean minds when 1t was understood that
America was not merely Tartary or some,
other geographical dependency of Asia Gu
riously enough this belief obtained in the
old world for nearly century and half,
and during this period those memora Bile
expeditions to locate a northwest passage
were undertaken and executed with con-
Summate daring and skill by English sea-
men. Upon the realization of the CONNER
cial futility of these desperate voyages the
attempt to circumnaVigate the northern
littoral OF the American continent ceased
for period, and until the beginning of
those explorations led by the worthier mo-
tive of adding to the store of human knowl-
edge and scientific attainment, the con-
quest of the bleak polar regions halted
With the exception of the attempts 70
reach the pole itself, no arctic goal has
been so eagerly sought as the northwest
passage; and while. it. is true. many of
merely an incidental part of the gem
eral plan of geographic research we I'M
doubleday can say the same of the many
dashes for the pole which have been made.
Efforts of the Norsemen.
There is today no question that the ear
hest discovery, exploration and even set
tlement OF America were due to the Morse
men, those unequaled seamen and rovers
of the ninth and tenth centuries Their
fourishing maritime settlements on the
coasts of Greenland existed over 500 years
oe1ore the hrst voyage of Columbus and as
they pursued their fishing expeditions as
far as Lancaster sound and even Barrow
strait, we can fairly conclude that the
initial step toward the location Of the
northwest passage was due to these voy-
ayers, though 1t is uncomfortable that the
purpose was other than the pursuit of their
nsherles. The actual beginning of the So
I1es of searches with the northwest pas
sage as objective, which began almost CO.
incidentally with the expeditions of Co.
lumbus, must be ascribed to the first vow
age in 1491 of the Cabots, who penetrated
nearly half way up Davis strait in an at
tempt to sail around the continent and
thus attain the land of Cathay Little fur
Their progress was made until the expeii-
ton under the leadership of Martin Fro
bisher VINO In 1916 to 1878 discovered the
entrances to FrobiSher and Hudson straits
and made few scientific Investigations
the frst, by the way, which we hear of in
any of these voyages. A later voyage. bv
Sir Humphrey Gilbert was without irnnor-
tant results
The first great advance, not only In the
search for a northern waterway to India
out In general polar exploration as welt
was made IN the three voyages of John
Davis, who in 1885 first fairly discovered the
strait that today bears his name reaching
what is now Godthaab, Greenland. After
an unsuccessful voyage in the following
year, Davis In 1857 with reckless daring
pushed on TO latitude II degrees IL minutes
in the neighborhood of Sandersons Hope
on the west coast of Greenland. His re-
markable Journeys covered the west coast
of Greenland from Cape Farewell to Sander
sons Hope, and the American coast from
Labrador to Cumberland Island William
Baffn, another of that deathless race of
medieval navigators, in the Discovery, a
tiny vessel of only ffty-five tons burden
reached the islands known under his name
today, crossed Baff1n bay via the Middle
Passage" and in 1915 was in Smiths sound
IN sight of Cape Alexander. Baff1n's far
thest north of n degrees 40 minutes re-
manned unequaled in this region for 23,
years. and his voyage added materially to
the geogra phical knowledge of Ellesmere
and PrudhOe lands, and Smith Jones and
Lancaster sounds. The two latter he eau
tlously entered, and found them completely
obstructed by Ice sD that on his return to
England he declared his belief in the non
existence of a northwest passage The ex-
plorers of this time, English Danish
French and Dutch, We're stimulated in their
eHortS to discover the northwest and north
east passages. by the power of Spain, who
In her arrogance and pride as the mightiest
nation of the age, maintained her grasp
upon the traffic of the Atlantic and Indian
oceans to the exclusion of all others.
The Illustrious Henry Hudson.
Perhaps the most illustrious of all the
seekers for this Elusive waterway was
Henry Hudson. whose explorations were
pursued between those of Davis and Bafin
After vain attempts under the auspices of
the famous Muscovy Company to find a
northeast passage between Greenland and
SpltZDergen and Nova Zembla, In 1907, 1905
ana l6U9. he turned westward in the last
year and sailing along the American Goa ST
discovered New York bay and the Hudson
river. The following year he again sailed
lar north along the coast through the Hud-
son strait and into the great bay that hears
his name, penetrating westward several
hundred miles farther than had hitherto
peeh accomplished, After wintering In
hudson bay and suffering severely from
tempestuous weather and failing provisions
part OF his expedition returned to Englan
Hudson himself, one of the most tragic fig
ures in the history of the arctic had rnisar
ably persisted, after being set adrift in n
small boat by his mutinous crew IT was
now believed that the way to the Pacific
ilau Deen discovered, and that 1t undollhf-
edly lay through Hudson bay
Within five years a number of expeditions
were made into this vast sheet of water and
In these Fox Channel and Rowe's Welcome
were explored. This belief in an outlet to
the northwest via Hudson bay persisted
nearly to the beginning of the 10th century
ana the English parliament as late as ITE,
offered reward Of 10000 to the crew.yho
should first traverse this outlet At this
time. too the Russians began their attemnts
to prove the existence of the passage by
seeking to penetrate from the westward
through Behring strait and, in general. TO
explore the polar archipelago Only bare
mention can be made here of these expIor-
ers. of Behring, Shalaroff. who in 1850 died
or starvation with his entire crew, of An
dreyeff, Billings and Won WrangeI and An
Jcu. the last two making their famous
siecge journeys IN 1920 to 1898 In 17T0
Capt. Cook sailed on his last voyage In an
attempt to penetrate the Polar sea to the
eastward through the Behring strait but
was separated by a solid barrier of Ice from
a ship sent to await him In Baffin bay
First Scientific Expedition.