HUDSON. 281 



and the north of the Flye were directly one on a.d 

 the other," meaning that his compass was not, 

 as was usual in those days, corrected for the 

 variation, which was, of course, done by turning 

 the north or " flye " of the card as many degrees 

 to the east, or west of the north of the needle, 

 to which it was attached, as were equal to the 

 variation of the place when the card was made. 

 This Hudson knew was founded upon an erro- 

 neous supposition, viz. that the variation was 

 nearly the same in all places ; and he lost not 

 a moment in correcting an error which, he knew, 

 might lead to the most serious consequences in a 

 region where the variation of the needle underwent 

 so great a change in so very short a distance. 



This enterprising navigator was afterwards 

 engaged in several voyages ; in one of which he 

 discovered the Bay that bears his name. Here 

 his crew mutinied, and put him and his son, and 

 seven others, into a small sloop, with a scanty 

 supply of provision, and they were never after 

 heard of. 



I cannot close this account of Hudson's without 

 transcribing his ludicrous mention of one of 

 those nondescript species of -the ocean, termed 

 mermaids, which are said to have been seen 

 by early navigators. " This morning," says Hud- 

 son, "one of our companie looking overboard, 



