476 THE PROGRESS OF MARITIME DISCOVERY. 
while been discovered, Frobisher relinquished all further at- 
tempts to push his fortunes in the northern regions, and sought 
new laurels in a sunnier clime. He accompanied Drake to the 
West Indies, commanded subsequently one of the largest vesseis 
opposed to the Spanish Armada, and ended his heroic life while 
attacking a small French fort on behalf of Henry IV., during the 
war with the League. He was one of those adventurous spirits 
always thirsting for action, and too uneasy ever to enjoy repose. 
In the year 1585, John Davis, with the ships “ Sunshine ” and 
“ Moonshine,” carrying besides their more necessary equipments 
a band of music “to cheer and recreate the spirits of the 
natives,” made his first voyage in quest of the north-west 
passage, and discovered the broad strait which leads into the 
icy deserts of Baffin’s Bay. But neither in this attempt nor in 
his two following ones was he able to effect the object for which 
he strove; and these repeated failures cooled for a long time 
the national ardour for northern discovery. 
In the year 1594 the Dutch appear upon the scene. This 
persevering and industrious people, which in the following 
century was destined to play so important a part in the politics 
of Europe, had just then succeeded in casting off the Spanish 
yoke, and was laudably endeavouring to gain by maritime 
enterprise a position among the neighbouring states, which the 
smallness of its territory seemed to deny to its ambition. All 
the known roads to the treasures of the south were at that time 
too well guarded by the jealous fleets of Spain and Portugal to 
admit of any rivalry; but, if fortune should favour them in 
finding the yet unexplored northern passage to India, they 
might still hope to secure a lion’s share in that most lucra- 
tive of trades. Animated by the bold spirit of adventure which 
the dawn of independence always calls forth in a nation, a 
company of Amsterdam merchants fitted out an expedition of 
northern discovery, which it intrusted to the superintendence 
and pilotage of William Barentz, one of the most experienced 
seamen of the day. 
Barentz left the Texel on the 6th of June, 1594, reached the 
northern extremity of Nova Zembla, and returned to Holland. 
Meanwhile his associate, penetrating through a strait to which 
he gave the very appropriate name of Waigats or ‘* Wind-hole,” 
battled against the floating ice of the Sea of Kara, until, round- 
