[ 6 9 ] 



the practicability of his propofal p. Though this project of his 

 was not attended to, yet a variety of expeditions were made for 

 difcovering a paflage by the North- weft, and others by the North- 

 eaft, into the South Seas on the one fide, and into the Tartarian 

 Ocean on the other, until at length both were declared impracti- 

 cable by Captain James, and Captain Wood ; foured by their own 

 mifcarriages, and being ftrongly perfuaded, that, as they did not 

 fucceed, none elfe could. But even thefe unfuccefsful voyages 

 were not unprofitable to the nation upon the whole, as they 

 opened a paffage to many lucrative fiflieries, fuch as thofe in 

 Davis's Straits, Baffin's Bay, and on the Coaft of Spitzbergen. 

 Befides this, they laid open Hudfon's Straits and Bay with the 

 Coaft on both rides, which have been already productive of many 

 advantages, and which, in procefs of time, cannot fail of pro- 

 ducing more* in confequence of our being in pofTeffion of Canada, 

 and being thereby fole mafter of thofe feas and coafts. 



It is, however, very remarkable, that notwithstanding the 

 views, both of our traders and of fuch great men as were diftin- 

 guifhed encouragers of difcoveries, the ableft feamen (who with- 

 out doubt are the beft judges) were ftill inclined to this paffage 

 by the North, fuch as Captain Poole, Sir William Monfon q , 

 and others ; and this was ftill the more remarkable, as they were 

 entirely guided therein by the lights of their own experience, 

 having no knowledge of Mr. Thome's propofal, or of the fenti- 

 ments of each other. From the reafon of the thing, however, 

 they uniformly concurred in the motives they fuggefted for 

 fuch an undertaking. They afferted, that this paflage would be 



p Hakluyt's Voyages, vol. I. p. 212 — 220. The letter to Dr. Ley, 

 who was the king's ambaffador in Spain, is dated A- D. 1527. This 

 Mr. Thome's father was engaged, with others, in the difcovery of New- 

 foundland. 



1 Naval Tracts, p. 435. 



much 



