A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 22S 



of the ore, which afterwards, being carefully examined, 

 turned out altogether worthless. The Queen was so much 

 pleased with the account given of this voyage, that she 

 called the supposed continent Meta Incognita. 



In 1578 her Majesty ordered a grand expedition under 

 the same commander. The fleet consisted of fifteen sail, 

 carrying a colony of 120 persons, who were to be left in 

 the newly-discovered country, with three ships for their 

 use. Materials of wood for building habitations for the 

 colonists were provided along with other suitable supplies ; 

 but a storm having overtaken the squadron, the ship 

 carrying the materials for building foundered, and the 

 undertaking so grandly begun ended in nothing ; the 

 fleet not having even been able to find the strait. 



Captain Frobisher was afterwards advanced to the 

 honour of knighthood for the bravery with which he con- 

 tributed to the destruction of the Spanish armada in 1588. 



In the year 1580, the Russia Company fitted out two 

 ships for the discovery of a north-east passage. That un- 

 dertaking proved unsuccessful and unfortunate, one of the 

 ships having been lost, and all on board perished. 



In 1585, the hope of finding the so much desired north- 

 west passage induced Mr. John Davis to undertake it, 

 though so many previous attempts had failed. He took the 

 precaution to avail himself of the experience of Mr. 

 Fenton, who had been engaged in former voyages for 



8 



