The Arctic World : $b Its plants, animals, and natural phenomena. With a historical sketch of Arctic discovery, down to the British polar expedition: 1875-76.Anonymous
Science
The Arctic World : $b Its plants, animals, and natural phenomena. With a historical sketch of Arctic discovery, down to the British polar expedition: 1875-76.
Anonymous
Arctic regions; Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration -- British
In 1610, in a vessel of fifty-five tons, he once more entered the Polar
seas, and gained the extreme point of Labrador, which he named Cape
Wolstenholm. Here burst upon him the view of that magnificent sea which
has since been associated with his name; and there can be no doubt
that his enterprise would have anticipated the discoveries of later
navigators, but for the mutiny which broke out among his crew, and
eventually led to his being sent adrift, with nine faithful companions,
in a small open boat. He was never again heard of.
* * * * *
The spirit of commercial enterprise and the love of maritime adventure
were still strong enough in England to induce the equipment of
further expeditions. In 1612 sailed Captain Button,--who discovered
a stream, and named it Nelson River; where, at a later date, the
Hudson Bay Company planted their first settlement. Here he wintered.
In April 1613, on the breaking up of the ice, he resumed his work of
exploration, and discovered, in lat. 65°, an island group, which he
named Manuel, now known as Mansfield, Islands. Then he bore away for
England, arriving in the Thames early in September.
Robert Bylot and William Baffin undertook a voyage in 1615. The latter
had had some previous experience of Arctic navigation, which he turned
to advantage in 1616, when he accompanied Bylot on a second expedition.
Their ship, the _Discovery_, of fifty-five tons, reached Cape
Hope Sanderson, the furthest point attained by Davis, on the 30th of
May; and after meeting with some obstruction from the ice, proceeded
northwards to 72° 45’, where she dropped anchor for awhile among the
Women’s Islands. Baffin kept to the north until he found ice in 74°
15’ N., and he then ascended Melville Bay, touching the head of the
great basin now known by his name, and sailing down its western coast.
He arrived in Dover Roads on the 30th of August, after a brilliantly
successful voyage, which had opened up the principal north-west
channels into the Arctic Sea.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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