I6l5. CAPTAIX GIBBONS. ^05 



does not hesitate to say ** that he is not short of 

 any man that ever yet he carried to sea," had 

 raised great expectations from this voyage, which, 

 however, were wofully disappointed. Captain 

 Gibbons had not proceeded far into Hudson's 

 Strait before he fell in with the ice, which came 

 down in such quantities as to hamper him very 

 considerably. The weather also was boisterous, 

 cold and foggy, which induced him to turn back. 

 Some, indeed, are of opinion that he never reached 

 the Strait, but was driven by the southern current 

 and the floating ice down the coast of Labrador, 

 where he took shelter in a bay lying in about 57% 

 . in which he remained nearly five months, com- 

 pletely blocked up by the ice. To this spot his 

 ship's company are said to have given, in derision, 

 the name of " Gibbons his hole.'' Escaping at 

 length, with considerable damage to his ship, he 

 made the best of his way home. The bay in 

 which he was thus caught appears to be that now 

 called Nain, at the head of which there is an 

 establishment of Moravian missionaries. 



ROBERT BYLOT. lGl5. 



The total failure of Captain Gibbons, notwith- 

 standing the high character given of him as a sea- 

 man by Sir Thomas Button, did not discourage the 

 adventurous merchants from following up the pro- 



