166S, ZACCITARIAH GILLAM. 255 



north-west, is the strongest proof of the light in 

 which the voyages of Fox and James had been 

 considered; and that all further attempts were 

 looked upon as hopeless. It would appear, however, 

 that a voyage had been undertaken to Hudson's 

 Bay, in the intermediate time, from New England, 

 either for the purpose of fishing or discovery. The 

 French, after possessing themselves of Canada, 

 crossed over the land to the shores of Hudson's 

 Bay. Among the first was one M. de Grosseliez, 

 a bold and enterprizing man, who, seeing the ad- 

 vantage that might be derived to the French set- 

 tlements in North America, by possessing them- 

 selves of the ports and harbours of Hudson's Bay, 

 prevailed on some of his countrymen at Quebec, 

 to fit out a ship for the purpose of exploring the 

 coasts of that bay, in which he proceeded himself. 

 Having landed late in the season on the Avestern 

 side of the bay, near to Nelson s River, some of his 

 people returned with an account of their having 

 discovered an English settlement ; upon which he 

 proposed to attack and, if possible, to take posses- 

 sion of it; but, on approaching the spot, a solitary 

 hut only was discovered, in which were found 

 half a dozen miserable wretqhes on the point of 

 perishing from disease and famine. These unhappy 

 men told Grosseliez, they w^ere part of the crew 

 of a ship from Boston, v/ho had been sent on shore 

 to look out for a proper place for the ship, to which 

 they belonged, to lie in safety during the winter, and 



