CHAPTER XXVIII. 



Navigation of Hudson's Bay and Strait. 



the discovery and exploration of hudson's bay — hudson 

 strait — the tidal and other currents — winds and wind- 

 storms — meteorological data — fogs — temperature of the 



AIR, ETC. 



KIP HE first occupation of the shores of Hudson's Bay, although 



1 fm shrouded in considerable uncertainty, was accomplished by 



means of the navigation of Hudson Strait. It is claimed 



^P that the Cabots discovered the mouth of the Strait in 1497, 



but this is disputed by those who hold that neither of the brothers 



ascended a higher latitude than the northern shores of Newfoundland. 



The French claim to have discovered Hudson's Strait in 1504, 

 through some of their adventurous fishermen, and a French work 

 sets up this claim as far back as 1671 ; and although recent writers 

 discredit it I have not seen any evidence to overthrow it, and am 

 inclined to believe it to be well founded. 



Of course the first authentic record we have of the discovery and 

 exploration of the Bay and Strait tells of the daring and unfortunate 

 adventures of Henry Hudson, who, on the 10th of April, 1610, sailed 

 in the ship Discoverie, and passed through the Strait, and across 

 the waters of the Bay. The waters of the latter received his body 

 in keeping until the resurrection, and both will throughout all time 

 bear his name. 



The sad story of his fate may be briefly related. After gaining 

 entrance through the Strait, in 1610, he and his crew wintered on 

 the shores of James' Bay, and in the spring of 1611, while on their 

 way north, probably in the vicinity of Little Whale River, on the 

 east main coast, Hudson, his son, and seven of his men, were, owing 



