Henry Hudson: A Brief Statement of His Aims and His AchievementsJanvier, Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone)
History
Henry Hudson: A Brief Statement of His Aims and His Achievements
Janvier, Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone)
Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Hudson, Henry, -1611
By September, the "Discovery" was come into James Bay, at the
southern extremity of Hudson's Bay; and then it was that the
serious trouble began. By Prickett's showing, there seems to have
been a clash of opinions in regard to the ship's course; and of so
violent a sort that strong measures were required to maintain
discipline. The outcome was that "our Master took occasion to
revive old matters, and to displace Robert Juet from being his
mate, and the boatswaine from his place, for the words spoken in
the first great bay of ice."
For what happened at that time we have a better authority than
Prickett. The "Note" of Thomas Widowes covers this episode; and, in
covering it, throws light upon the mutinous conditions which
prevailed increasingly as the voyage went on. As the only
contemporary document giving Hudson's side of the matter it is of
first importance--we may be very sure that it would not have come
down to us had it been discovered by the mutineers--and I cite it
here in full as Purchas prints it:
"The tenth day of September, 1610, after dinner, our Master called
all the Companie together, to heare and beare witnesse of the abuse
of some of the Companie (it having beene the request of Robert
Juet), that the Master should redresse some abuses and slanders, as
hee called them, against this Juet: which thing after the Master
had examined and heard with equitie what hee could say for
himselfe, there were proued so many and great abuses, and mutinous
matters against the Master, and [the] action by Juet, that there
was danger to have suffered them longer: and it was fit time to
punish and cut off farther occasions of the like mutinies.
"It was proved to his face, first with Bennet Mathew, our Trumpet,
upon our first sight of Island [Iceland], and he confest, that he
supposed that in the action would be man slaughter, and proue
bloodie to some.
"Secondly, at our coming from Island, in hearing of the Companie,
hee did threaten to turne the head of the Ship home from the
action, which at that time was by our Master wisely pacified,
hoping of amendment.
"Thirdly, it was deposed by Philip Staffe, our Carpenter, and
Ladlie Arnold [Arnold Ludlow] to his face upon the holy Bible, that
hee perswaded them to keepe Muskets charged, and Swords readie in
their Cabbins, for they should be charged with shot ere the Voyage
was over.
"Fourthly, wee being pestered in the Ice, hee had used words
tending to mutinie, discouragement, and slander of the action,
which easily took effect in those that were timorous; and had not
the Master in time preuented, it might easily have overthrowne the
Voyage: and now lately being imbayed in a deepe Bay, which the
Master had desire to see, for some reasons to himselfe knowne, his
word tended altogether to put the Companie into a fray [fear] of
extremitie, by wintering in cold: Jesting at our Master's hope to
see Bantam by Candlemas.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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