A.D. 



1607. 



268 HUDSON. 



free sea betweene the land and the ice, and meant 

 to have compassed this land by the north. But 

 now, finding by proof it was impossible, by 

 means of the abundance of ice compassing us 

 about by the north and joyning to the land, 

 and seeing God did blesse us with a faire wind 

 to sail by the south of this land to the north- 

 east, we returned, bearing up the helme." It 

 was, no doubt, the circumstance of Hudson 

 asserting he saw land stretching far into 82° 

 when it was known that Spitzbergen did not ex- 

 tend to 81°, that has given rise to a supposition 

 that Hudson could not have been off that Island, 

 an opinion, however, which has been somewhat 

 strengthened by another remark of Hudson's, 

 which will be found in advance, in which he 

 observes that " there is no passage north of Green- 

 land, which if there had been I intended to have 

 sailed round it, and returned home by Davis' 

 Straits." But this passage occurs long after 

 Hudson had given up the attempt to the north 

 of Spitzbergen, and had stood over front that island 

 to Greenland, where his progress was arrested 

 by the ice. Much more might be said in proof 

 of the land in question being the north-eastern 

 part of Spitzbergen, if it were required; but I 

 should think sufficient has already been stated 

 to set the matter at rest. 



