EXPEDITION OF CORNELISON. 
87 
to find out some passage, by' which they could reach the east, 
without encountering the fleets of their vigilant and jealous 
rivals. All the attempts to find a passage by the north west, 
had proved unsuccessful, and although the belief of the existence 
of that passage was still strongly prevalent amongst the English 
navigators, yet neither the government, nor the merchants felt 
disposed to advance the funds requisite for the equipment of a 
vessel destined for an undertaking, which, as yet had been at¬ 
tended with positive loss and disappointment. Although the 
English nation was rapidly increasing in resources, and had 
been taught, from some recent political events, to know its 
strength, yet the spirit of discovery, as far as the north west 
passage was concerned, languished considerably, and the atten¬ 
tion of the merchants began to be directed to other quarters, by 
which the treasures of India could be obtained, and by a route, 
to which usurpation had not hitherto advanced any claim. 
From some obscure allusions made by the Dutch navigators, 
and by Oliver Brunell, an Englishmen, it was conjectured that a 
north eastern passage might be found to India, and the Dutch, 
who where then beginning to hold a secondary rank amongst 
the maritime nations of Europe, resolved to attempt the 
discovery of it; accordingly in 1594, the United Provinces 
sent forth an expedition under the command of Cornelis 
Cornelison, to which William Barentz was attached, as the 
pilot. Notwithstanding great praise is due to the navigators 
of that period, for the enterprising spirit which they manifested 
on many occasions; yet it must be admitted, that, on their pe¬ 
riodical returns from their respective voyages, from which, 
scarcely any benefit resulted, they always brought home with 
them reports of such a flattering and encouraging nature, that 
the strongest inducements were held forth to the projectors of 
the expeditions, to send forth fresh ones, as they were actually 
led to believe, that they were on the very verge of a discovery, 
from which inexhaustible riches were to be their reward. Thus 
Cornelison sailed round the North Cape, and passed the Straits 
of Waigatz, about forty leagues from which the main land ap¬ 
peared trending to the south east. This favourable omen, added 
