190 DISCOVERIES OF l6l^^ 



on account of the unhappy catastrophe which befel 

 Hudson ; and it may therefore be presumed that 

 they substantiated by proof their innocence of all 

 participation in that atrocious transaction. We find, 

 at least, that both were engaged to proceed on the 

 same voyao-e the followino; vear, under the command 

 of Captaix (afterwards Sir Thomas) Button, a 

 gentleman then in the service of Prince Henry, an 

 able seaman, and a man of very considerable talent. 

 The two ships fitted out for this new voyage of 

 discoverv bore the same names as those under the 

 celebrated Cook, w^hen employed on the same 

 service, but on the opposite side of America — the 

 Resolution and the Discover]/ ; the former of 

 which was connnanded by Sir Thomas, the latter 

 by Captain Ingram. Sir Thomas Button had 

 with him besides, on this voyage of discovery, a 

 relation of the name of Gibbons, and one Captain 

 Hawkridge, both volunteers, and men of reputed 

 skill and experience. The two ships, being in all 

 respects ready for sea and victualled for eighteen 

 months, took their departure early in May 1612. 



For reasons that one cannot well comprehend, 

 the voyage of Sir Thomas Button w^as never 

 published, either by himself or by any competent 

 authority ; a sort of mysterious secrecy being kept 

 up, though several details, collected from different 

 persons employed on it, and from verbal informa- 

 tion, as well as some abstracts said to be taken 

 from Button's own journal by Sir Thomas Roe, 



