CHAPTER XVI 
WILLIAM BAFFIN 
When Baffin was to the fore, good scientific work 
was certain to be done. He had shown this in his first 
polar voyage to Greenland, distinguished by the longitude 
observation by moon's culmination ; he had shown it by 
his observation for sun's refraction, and by others during 
his two voyages to Spitsbergen. Now the North West 
Company was so fortunate as to secure his services. 
It is strange that Bylot should have been appointed 
Master of the Discovery in her fourth projected voyage 
to seek for the passage by Hudson Strait. No doubt he 
told a plausible story, or Prickett told it for him, yet 
his character still bore the taint of Hudson's murder. 
The old seaman had been in three Arctic voyages, and 
was obliging and friendly when all went well, but there 
was nothing heroic about him. Baffin, who was only 
rated as mate and associate of the master, did all the 
work, directed the courses, took the observations, kept 
the tabulated log, and wrote the journal. He was on 
excellent terms with Bylot throughout, and said of him 
simply that (i he was a man well experienced that wayes." 
The Discovery, though only 55 tons, carried a complement 
of 14 men and two boys. 
Sir John Wolstenholme and Mr Allwyn Cary, the 
ship's husband, came on board at St Katherine's on the 
15th March to see that all was well, give promises of 
rewards, and wish the explorers God speed. On the 
23rd the ship was at the Downs and proceeded down 
Channel. But they were met by a furious gale and 
sought shelter at the Stilly Islands and again at Padstow. 
At last the Discovery got away on her voyage, and on 
the 6th May the land near Cape Farewell was sighted. 
Two days afterwards the ship was amongst icebergs and 
Baffin calculated the height of one and found it to be 
