52 
LETTER OF SIR THOMAS BUTTON. 
dwelling on the misery and privations which they w r ere under¬ 
going, by proposing to them questions on navigation and geo¬ 
graphy, and by thus blending amusement with instruction, he 
kept their spirits from drooping, whilst he was continually 
cheering them with the prospect of a speedy termination to their 
sufferings. As the spring advanced, game became more abundant, 
and so numerous were the white partridges, that it was computed 
that above twenty two thousand were killed and consumed by 
the crew. 
On the disappearance of the ice in April, Button launched his 
vessels, and bent his course northward, sailing along the western 
coast of Hudson’s Bay, as far as latitude 65°, where he fell in 
with a number of islands, to which he gave the name of Mancel’s 
Islands, but which are now laid down in the charts as Mans¬ 
field’s Islands. This may be considered as the utmost boundary 
of Sir Thomas Button’s discoveries, for after passing a few days 
in the vicinity of Mancel’s Islands, he directed his course home¬ 
wards, passing Cape Chidley, and after a very quick passage 
arrived in England, at the close of the autumn of 1613. 
Button was certainly the first English navigator, who reached 
the eastern coast of America, on the western side of Hudson’s 
Bay, and it may be added that there is, perhaps, scarcely any 
navigator, who conducted his expedition with greater skill and 
judgment than Sir Thomas Button, it is also much to be regret¬ 
ted that no history was ever published of his voyage, on which 
account much is left to conjecture as to the real issue of it, 
and to the actual extent of his discoveries. An old and very 
interesting letter from Sir Thomas Button, to Lord Secretary 
Dorchester has lately been discovered by Mr. Lemon, in the State 
paper office, in which no doubt is expressed of the possibility of 
making the north west passage. This curious document is as 
follows: 
“ First, whether there be any likelyhood or probalitye to com¬ 
pass the design—yea or noe. To that I answer that my opinion 
is nowe as it ever hath bin, since my return from thence, and 
as I then delivered it, with the particular reasons of it, to my 
most royal! Master, of most famous memorye, that there was 
