1612. SIR THOMAS BUTTON. 19^ 



consulting them what they should do, and what 

 course pursue, on the approach of spring. Every 

 man in the ship hy these means felthmiself of some 

 importance, and took an interest in the further 

 prosecution of the voyage. Among others we find 

 an answer given hy one Josias Hubert, the pilot of 

 the Resolutioji, to the question. How the discovery 

 might be best prosecuted when they should be able 

 to o'O to sea ? which shews the sound notions enter- 

 tained by this man respecting the true mode of 

 searching for the passage, " My answer," he says, 

 ^' to this demand is, to search to the northward 

 about this western land until, if it be possible, that 

 we may find the flood coming from the westward, 

 and to bend our courses against that flood, following 

 the ebb, searching that way for the passage. For 

 this flood which we have had from the eastward, I 

 cannot be persuaded, but that they are the veins of 

 some liead-land to the northward of the Checks, and 

 by the inlets of rivers which let the flood-tides into 

 them, which headlands being found, I do assure 

 myself, that the tide will be found to come from the 

 westward." 



The ice broke up from Nelson's River on the 

 21st of April, but they did not quit their winter 

 anchorage till two months afterwards, when they 

 stood to the northward exploring the eastern coast 

 of America, conformably w^ith Hubert's idea, as 

 high along the land of Southampton Island as 6.5°. 

 Proceeding again to the southward Button fell in 



o 4 



