HUDSON. 277 



explored was, he says, first discovered by Oliver a.d. 

 Brunei], a Dutchman, and by him named Casting 

 Sarch. The opening was also seen by Barentz, 

 who fixes its latitude at 71-^° N., nearly the 

 same as that given to it by Hudson.* Hudson 

 accuses Brunell of an error in the latitude of 

 this strait; which, he observes, he has placed 

 too far north, but for what reason he cannot 

 imagine, unless it be to make it accord with 

 the compass ; meaning thereby, that if a course 

 were steered for the strait, which Hudson places 

 in 71^° N., and no variation allowed to the 

 compass, it would conduct a vessel to the strait 

 in the situation assigned it by Brunell. In this, 

 however, Hudson is altogether mistaken. Brunell 

 very properly placed his Casting Sarch in the lati- 

 tude in which the only strait dividing Nova Zem- 

 bla into two islands is known to exist, about 73J° 

 N. The supposed strait of Hudson has since been 

 found to be nothing more than a channel, between 

 an island lying off the coast (called by the Russians 

 Mejdoucharsky) and Nova Zembla, and had his 

 boats succeeded in passing through it, they would 

 have arrived in the very same sea they had 

 quitted a few hours before, and have seen their 

 vessel at anchor. The want of a compass in 

 the boats sent to explore this channel was, no 



* Modern surveys place it in 71° N. 



