THE CORTEREALS. 25 



atrait, supposed to be that known since as Hudson's, 

 the ships were separated by a storm. One of them 

 returned home in safety, but, as if it were a retribution 

 for his kidnapping the unfortunate aborigines of the 

 country on his previous voyage, neither Gaspar Corte- 

 real nor his crew returned again, nor could the slightest 

 trace of their fate ever be discovered. Gaspar Corte- 

 real had a brother named Miguel, who was much at- 

 tached to him, and full of the same spirit of enterprise ; 

 he determined to set out in search of Gaspar. 



In the early part of the spring of 1502, Miguel sailed 

 from Lisbon with three vessels. On reaching the nu- 

 merous straits and islets about Hudson's Bay, the ships 

 separated with the intention of exploring each of them 

 a particular inlet. This was an impolitic measure, as 

 their union would have enabled them to give each other 

 aid in case of distress, or to bring off the crew, should 

 either of them chance to be shipwrecked on any of the 

 numerous islands, either rock or ice, which abound in 

 that dangerous navigation. The result was an unfortu- 

 nate one. Two of the ships met at the point of rendez- 

 vous, and returned home in safety. The third, with 

 Miguel Cortereal on board, shared the melancholy fate 

 of the navigators of whom it had gone from Portugal 

 expressly to get tidings, it never returned. The 

 place where it perished, whether by storm, rock, ice, 01 

 famine, was never known. The two vessels which were 

 go fortunate as to reach Lisbon reported the disaster, 

 in addition to that which had been previously known. 

 There yet remained a third brother, Vasco, who endeav- 

 ored to obtain leave of the king to set out and try to dis- 

 cover his two absent brothers. The king refused him 

 permission, upon the ground that the loss of two out of 

 such an adventurous family was much greater than he 

 could afford to sustain, in servants so enthusiastic and 



