Polar Explorations. 125 



By subsequent voyagers it was imagined, that by crossing 

 the pole, either in a North West or a North East direction, 

 the distance to the Indies would be curtailed, thus giving 

 them the precious commodities of those golden regions, with- 

 out the long, and then difficult voyage around the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



A North East passage was attempted in 1553 by Sir Hugh 

 Willoughby, who commanded " a fleet of three ships, with 

 pinnaces and boats," equipped and furnished by the " Compa- 

 ny of Merchants Adventurers of London.'''' At JSorth Cape 

 one of the ships left the fleet and returned home. Being 

 separated from the other he proceeded north, until forced by 

 the severity of the weather into a river of Lapland, the ship 

 was frozen up, and he with his ship's company all perished. 

 The notes of his voyage, and his last will, were found lying 

 before him, by which it appears that they lived until January ; 

 and it is affecting to observe, that three different companies 

 were despatched in various directions, but after four days 

 journey they returned to the ship, " without finding any peo- 

 ple, or any similitude of a habitation."* 



His consort, the Edward Bonaventure, commanded by Sir 

 Richard Chancelor, pursued a North East course until they 

 found themselves "in a sea where there was no night;" and 

 at length followed some natives in a fishing boat, into a deep 

 bay, to " St. Michaels, the archangel." On learning that 

 this port belonged to Russia, Sir Richard left the ship and 

 proceeded on sledges to Moscow, where he obtained letters 

 fi"om Czar John Bazilowitz to Edward VI, and procured 

 some important commercial privileges for the English merch- 

 ants. 



In 1585, Davies discovered Cape Desolation, on the west 

 coast of Greenland, and the strait called by his name. 



In 1607, Sir Henry Hudson was sent by some London 

 merchants to " attempt a passage by the North Pole to Japan 

 and China." In this voyage he discovered Spilzbergen, and 

 reached the 80° North lat. ; l)ut being stopped by the ice 

 fi-om the north, .he concludes that "a passage to Chma is unat- 

 tainable in these parts." In the following year he was fur- 

 ther employed in a voyage of North East discovery. 



In 1609, the Muscovy Company despatched Jonas Poole 

 to make discoveries; who after examining the south and west 



* Voyage of Sir Hugh Willoughby, Pinkerton's Coll. p. 15, 



