HUDSON. 275 



when he had approached so near to Nova Zembla 

 that he had not the smallest hope of being able 

 to effect the passage in this direction. The 

 next day he saw the island, and on the 27th 

 sent a boat on shore, in latitude 72° 12' N. They 

 found here a cross erected near the beach, and 

 the remains of a fire, which had, possibly, been 

 left by the crew of poor Barentz' vessel, whose 

 sufferings along this coast have been already 

 related. They also saw an abundance of drift- 

 wood, the traces of deer, bears, and foxes, and 

 brought on board the horns of a deer. 



Hudson now considered it hopeless to attempt 

 a northern passage to the westward of Nova 

 Zembla ; and, giving the efforts of Barentz to 

 the northward of that Island their due weight, 

 he determined to try and accomplish his purpose 

 by effecting the passage of the Waigatz. This 

 resolution was, however, abandoned a clay or 

 two after, for, on moving his vessel to a point 

 of land, he discovered an opening in the coast, 

 and saw so many walruses upon the shore, that he 

 considered it his duty to endeavour to defray the 

 expense of the voyage by means of the quantity 

 of oil, and teeth, he hoped to obtain from their 

 capture. He was also not without some expecta- 

 tion, from the appearance of the opening, that 

 it might afford an easier passage to the eastward 



T 2 



A.D. 



1G08. 



