14 SPITSBERGEN 



were so is unlikely. Anyhow, they were outward 

 bound for Japan and China by way of the North Pole, 

 and sailed from Gravesend on the 1st of May. 



Where he went is not clear in detail, as his latitudes 

 are seldom correct and his longitudes are not recorded. 

 He sighted Greenland north of Iceland, and, shouldered 

 off by the ice barrier, left it somewhere about Franz 

 Josef Fjord, working easterly by the edge of the 

 ice to Spitsbergen. Here he sailed round Prince 

 Charles's Foreland and went north, passing Hakluyt 

 Headland, which he named, reaching on the 13th of 

 July, 80 23', " by observation." He saw many whales, 

 but found his way blocked by ice ; and after many 

 attempts, assuring himself that there was no passage 

 hereabouts to the north, sailed southwards for Bear 

 Island. On leaving this he seems to have gone west, 

 possibly to the coast of Greenland again, for on his 

 way home he lighted upon Hudson's Touches, now 

 known as Jan Mayen Island, the principal cape of 

 which bears the name of Hudson's Point which may 

 be either Hudson's or Rudston's (after the Rudston 

 mentioned in Baffin's fourth voyage) while another is 

 known as Young's Foreland, perhaps after the James 

 Young who was the first in the ship to sight the coast 

 of Greenland on the outward journey. He dropped 

 anchor in the Thames on the 15th of September all 

 well. He had not crossed the Pole, nor did he find 

 Spitsbergen stretching up to 82, as he said, its most 

 northerly point being miles further south ; but he 

 had gone beyond Van Heemskerck's furthest north and 

 found a fishing ground for whales and walruses which 

 proved of great commercial value. 



