THE SEARCH FOR THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE 



all his companions perished, probably from scurvy. The third 

 ship, under Richard Chancellor, reached the mouth of the Dwina, 

 in the White Sea, and entered the harbor of Archangel. Here the 

 mariners were well treated by the Russians and returned to Eng- 

 land in the following summer. Thus ended the first northeast, 

 expedition. Its chief result was to open commercial relations be- 

 tween England and Russia. 



The first expedition with any notable results was that of Sir 

 Martin Frobisher in 1576 to the northwest. He tells us, in the 

 quaint diction of his day, that, "being persuaded of a new and 

 nearer passage to Cataya (Cathay) than by Capo d'buona Sper- 

 anza, which the Portugalles yeerly use, began first with himselfe 

 to devise, and then with his friendes to conferre, and layde a playne 

 platte unto them, that that voyage was not only possible by the 

 northwest, but also, as he coulde prove, easie to be performed." It 

 was "the only thing left undone in the world whereby a notable 

 mind might be made famous and fortunate." 



Sailing from Deptford with three small barks, he explored the 

 coast of Greenland, discovered the strait now known by his name, 

 and found on its shores a black mineral in which was visible a 

 yellow substance resembling gold. This unlucky find put an end 

 to the main purpose of the expedition, the ships returning to Eng- 

 land with some of the illusory substance, which, on examination by 

 London goldsmiths, was pronounced to be gold. The announce- 

 ment raised high enthusiasm in the country, and a new and large 

 expedition was fitted out and despatched in 1577, returning with an 

 abundance of the black earth. In 1578 it went again and this time 

 brought back a great cargo of the deceptive material. With this 

 the story ends; we hear no more of Arctic gold. The stufif was 

 doubtless tested and found to be what is designated as "fools' 

 gold," but no mention was made of the result, and the record came 

 to a sudden end. 



The historian of Frobisher's expedition gave many details of 



