36 
DISCOVERIES OF DAVIS. 
driven 11 the south, and arrived at the strait, discovered by him 
self on a former voyage, which is now known by the name of 
Cumberland Strait. He explored this strait for about sixty 
leagues, and in latitude 61° 10 he discovered a headland, to 
which he gave the name of Cape Chidley ; and to a promontory, 
he gave the name of Sanderson’s Hope, in honor of the chief pro¬ 
moter of the expedition. We must also award to Davis the 
rightful claim of having been the discoverer of the Strait, that 
now bears the name of Hudson, which is but a continuation of 
•.he same strait which bears the name of Davis Strait, only ex¬ 
tending to a higher degree of northern latitude. 
The last voyage of Davis, like his two former ones, did not 
occupy much more than three months, as he arrived in England, 
in the middle of September; the merchants however, who had 
borne the expence of the expeditions, and who, from the sanguine 
representations of Davis, had flattered themselves, that inex¬ 
haustible mines of wealth were to be opened upon them, felt no 
disposition to undertake another expedition, although the opinion 
of Davis still remained the same, that a north west passage, 
actually existed, and that it only required a fortunate combina¬ 
tion of circumstances, to accomplish its discovery. The mer¬ 
chants however, were not disposed to run the risk of meeting 
with that fortunate combination of circumstances, as nothing 
had yet occurred, which could lead them to believe that it 
was an epoch very near at hand ; consequently Davis was not 
employed in any subsequent expedition, for the discovery of the 
north west passage. 
The unfortunate issue of all the voyages which had been hi¬ 
therto undertaken for the discovery of a north west passage, did 
not operate with that discouraging force, which might have 
been expected, although it for a time diverted the attention of 
the English merchants from the plans, which they had formed 
for a successful competition with the Spaniards and Portuguese, 
their commerce, by means of a northern route to India. At 
the time when the English undertook their northern expeditions, 
they did not feel themselves competent to contend with the naval 
strength of Portugal, and there great desire was, in consequence, 
