HUDSON. 2G9 



From the advanced situation which Hudson, a.d. 



1G07. 



through skilful management and good fortune 

 had been able to attain, he bore away to the 

 W.S.W. sixteen leagues, and then S.W. eigh- 

 teen leagues, and then, having rounded the north- 

 west promontory of Spitzbergen, bore away still 

 further, with a northerly gale down the west- 

 ern side of that island, evidently with the design 

 of carrying out his before-mentioned intention 

 of passing round its southern promontory and 

 of endeavouring to push his discoveries to the 

 north-east. But before he reached the pro- 

 montory he met with contrary winds, and with 

 such tempestuous w T eather that he was driven 

 back again to the latitude of 78° N., when 

 the land of Spitzbergen bore N.E. fifteen leagues. 

 Here he observes, " Now, seeing how contrarie 

 the winde proved, to doe the good which wee 

 desired this way, I thought to prove our fortunes 

 by the west once again. And this evening, at 

 eight ... we steered away west, with the wind 

 at south-east." He continued his course to the 

 westward two days, and then fell in with the ice, 

 which was the first he had seen since he quitted 

 Cape Collins. Here Hudson had a very narrow 

 escape from being swept into the heavy ice, then 

 rolling and knocking about with a fearful noise. 

 The wind, as is often the case, close to the packed 



