Why is the Thames so dirty? History of geographical discoveries of Henry Hudson Henry Hudson discovered the mouth of a river.

This tireless exploration of the north has carried out four daring expeditions in just a few years. And who knows, if fate had been more favorable to him, then more than one object named after Henry Hudson would have appeared on geographical maps.

History has not preserved the exact place and date of his birth. Moreover, the reliable facts of his biography relate only to the last four years of his life. We can only say with certainty that Henry Hudson was an Englishman, and by the age of fifty he had a reputation as an experienced navigator. But he never made his own ship and did not have the capital. Lacking the funds to equip the expedition, Hudson turned to a London company that traded with Russia, China and Japan. Henry Hudson assured the merchants that he would find a short route from England to China across the northern seas.

In 1607, a sailing ship with the promising name Good Hope left England. A month later, the Hudson reached the eastern shores of Greenland, which is now called Hudson Land. Finding no way to the north, the navigator headed for Spitsbergen, but the path was blocked by ice floes of three meters thickness. The old sailing ship literally burst at the seams, the Hudson had to return home. Only a century and a half later, sailors will dare to repeat his path and reach these northern latitudes. But the first voyage of the pioneer was not in vain. The team found many whales, seals and walruses, thus the Hudson marked the beginning of the richest fishing in the Arctic waters. Three years later, each season, more than two hundred whaling ships hunted here, even a unique whaling war broke out. England and Holland fought for the preferential rights to this fishery.

In 1608, Henry Hudson again entered into a dispute with the northern seas, but the merchants skimped on equipping the ship, and the captain had to return again, with nothing. After two unsuccessful attempts, the British lost interest in finding routes to the eastern countries, but Hudson did not think to give up his dream. He joined a Dutch-owned trading company and sailed from Amsterdam in April 1609. Soon the Hudson was near Novaya Zemlya, but the sailors, accustomed to the warm seas of the East Indies, declared that they could not bear the terrible cold. Then the navigator decided to go to China not by the eastern, but by the western route. The maps of that time indicated that the strait leading from the Atlantic to China was at the fortieth latitude. Naturally, the Hudson failed to find a non-existent passage to China off the coast of America. But he explored the river, on the banks of which the Dutch will build a city in 15 years. And in 1664 the British will give him the name New York, and the descendants will call the river after the traveler Hudson.

A year later, to search for the Northwest Route, an English trading company equipped a small ship "Discovery", with a displacement of 55 tons and a crew of 23 people, Henry Hudson, who at that time was already about sixty years old, was appointed captain. Hudson was so confident of success that he took his 14-year-old son on a long voyage. In June 1610, between the islands of Baffin's Land and Labrador, the navigator discovered a wide strait, which would later be named after him. For a month the captain led the sailing ship along the stormy ice corridor until he entered a bay as huge as the sea. For several weeks the Hudson tried to find a passage into the ocean, but again failed.

The sailors murmured, not wanting to endure the difficulties of ice navigation. Apparently experienced navigator Henry Hudson lacked the toughness to maintain discipline on the ship. And although the pioneer landed the main rebel, first mate Robbert Jouet, ashore, the team went out of hand. It was especially hard for the captain when the ship was pinned down by ice. Wintering dragged on for seven months. The team's dissatisfaction has reached its limit.

Three days after the sailboat was freed from ice captivity, a riot broke out on the ship. Henry Hudson, his son and seven sailors loyal to the captain in June 1611, the rebels left in a boat among floating ice floes, without weapons and food. Discovery returned to England two months later under the command of the only surviving officer, Robert Bylot. The rescue expedition found no trace of the boat. Henry Hudson and his comrades were considered missing. Still, there was little hope that the sailors could reach the coast and settle with the Eskimos.

300 years later, near the Hudson Bay, an unusual tribe of white-skinned Eskimos was discovered, unlike the rest of the aborigines of Canada and Alaska. Perhaps they are the descendants of the legendary explorer Henry Hudson, whose name is immortalized on the map of North America.

... We walked along a narrow aisle. The current was indeed from the north, and the depth off the coast was 30 m.
Henry Hudson's last entry in the logbook at the entrance to Hudson Bay
It arose out of complete obscurity in 1607 and disappeared just as completely in 1611.
But over these 4 years, Hudson has shown an unrivaled desire to conquer the ice seas.
No story can compare with his short biography.
about any of the researchers of the Arctic throughout its history.

F. Mowet. Ice Trial

What is known about Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson (Hudson) (born c. 1550 (according to other sources 1570) - death in 1611) English navigator. In search of the northwestern and northeastern passages between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, he made 4 voyages in the Arctic seas. He discovered the river, strait and bay in North America, which are named after him.

What little we know about Henry Hudson, other than his discoveries, makes us think of him as a man who possessed a rare self-confidence, intolerance and the gift of persuasion. Henry spent many years by the sea, starting his career as a cabin boy and eventually rose to the rank of captain.

How it all began

The beginning of his dizzying career was very peculiar. It was just that an elderly captain who was almost unknown to anyone in London arrived at the British trading "Moscow Company" and offered to reach Japan through the North Pole. In those days, no one knew that this kind of task was impossible for a sailing vessel. The company entered into a contract with him, equipping at its own expense the rotten through and through small barque "Hopewell" 80 tons, once belonging to one of Frobisher's expeditions, with a team of 12 people.

First expedition - 1607

1607, May 1 - The journey has begun. The navigator headed straight for the North Pole. In June, the vessel, moving along the eastern coast of Greenland, reached 73 ° N. NS. The ice situation in this area was unfavorable, so the Hudson changed course, took to the northeast and, circling Spitsbergen from the north, perhaps for the first time in history, reached 80 ° 23'N. NS. before reaching the pole only 600 miles. There, ice forced the Hudson to turn back. At 71 ° N. NS. he discovered an island with two peaks. The navigator, without undue modesty, called it "Hudson's Barbs", and near Svalbard the Hudson revealed great opportunities for whaling, which subsequently attracted many vessels here.

The expedition returned to the English capital in mid-September. Because the main goal was not achieved and they did not reach Japan, the Hudson decided to look for a passage elsewhere: between Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. And again he was able to convince merchants who were not prone to wastefulness of the profitability of such an enterprise and the possibility of going to the Far East around the northern protuberance of Russia. Of course, the opinion of the queen played a big role in this, she said: "Such a navigator cannot serve to the detriment of his homeland!"

Second expedition - 1608

Henry Hudson Expeditions Map to North America

Henry Hudson was given a ship and 14 crew. His son Sebastian now sailed with the captain. This expedition, which began on April 22, 1608, also did not result in the opening of the passage. Having approached the southwestern coast of Novaya Zemlya, the navigator was unable to round it from the north. He could not pass into the Kara Sea either. The ice did not let the fragile ship farther north. Hopewell returned to London on 26 August.

The company refused the services of a failed captain, especially since during the expedition, unrest broke out on the ship. But the stubborn captain did not give up. He decided to look for a passage in the northeast in the Barents Sea region. Once again, he was able to convince the company, this time the Dutch East Indies, to equip the expedition. Dutch merchants gave the Hudson a small ship "Halfam" with a crew of 18 people, including both the British and the Dutch.

Third expedition - 1609

1609, March 25 - The ship left Zuider See and headed north. In the Barents Sea, it turned out to reach 72 ° N. sh., but again the ice stopped the advance. The crew, not wanting to endanger the polar voyage, mutinied. Hudson decided to continue looking for a passage to the south. Moving southwest, the Halfam crossed the North Atlantic and descended along the American coast from the Gulf of Maine to the 36th parallel. This time it was possible to examine the course of a large river, which later became known as the Hudson. The navigator hoped that this was the long-awaited journey to the Pacific Ocean. However, he failed again. And again, throughout the entire journey, there were disagreements with the team. The captain could not find a common language either with the Dutch or with his compatriots.

The fourth expedition - 1610

The next and last stage in the life of Henry Hudson is an expedition with the same goal, again to the north of America, but now again in the service of the British East India Company. True, here they did not trust him very much now. The sailors from the previous crews were not silent. It was known that on the ships of this captain there was a constant threat of revolt. Therefore, the company, allocating the Discovery ship of only 55 tons and a team of 22 people, appointed its senior officer there. The captain did not argue, but at the mouth of the Thames, when the expedition was dispatched on April 17, 1610, he simply dropped him ashore.

"Discovery" sailed to Iceland, after reaching southern Greenland, passed it to the west, followed along the northern coast of Labrador and entered the strait already discovered by Cabot, which eventually received the name of the Hudson. The navigator decided that this was the desired northwest passage, swam along it and entered the bay, which became his grave.

Trouble with the crew began a long time ago, back in Iceland. In the gulf, they escalated, since the captain, according to eyewitnesses, landed a sailor, whom he considered the main instigator. For the unfortunate man, this meant certain death. In addition, in the bay, at about 43 ° N. NS. the ship was pushed onto the shore by ice. I had to spend the winter there. The hunt did not let them starve to death, but the team began to accuse the captain of hiding food, as well as breaking into the hold in order to steal food to feed the pets. Discontent grew.

Ship riot

Henry Hudson's Last Journey

When the ice allowed to move on, the navigator wanted to continue the expedition, but the team resisted. A riot broke out. The instigator was Henry Green, whom the Hudson once sheltered in his home in London, and then secretly from the company took on a ship in Gravesend. Green has muddied the water for a long time. Angry at his benefactor for refusing to give him the previously promised coat of the deceased gunner, Green completely got out of obedience and pushed the team to a crime.

Henry Hudson, his minor son, assistant navigator and several sailors who supported the captain, as well as the sick, were put in a boat and left to fend for themselves. At the disposal of these eight people, according to one of the eyewitnesses, Abakuk Pryket, were given: one musket, some gunpowder and bullets, several spears and a cast-iron pot with some food. The navigator intended to stay close to his ship, but the crew set all sails up and fled from the Hudson.

When the boat was out of sight, the sails were removed and rushed in search of food. There was not much of it. In the cabin of the captain, accused of withholding food, only 200 rusks, 2 gallons of flour and a large barrel of beer were found.

No trace

The only officer left on the ship, Robert Bylot, brought Discovery to England. In order not to starve to death, the team caught birds. "Bird bone candles" were considered a great delicacy. The bones were fried in candle lard and vinegar was added. 13 people survived. They were initially imprisoned until the return of the Hudson and his companions. But the expedition sent in search was unable to find any traces.

In this case, the rioters had to serve a life sentence. But the court, entangled in the conflicting testimonies of the sailors, never passed a guilty verdict. All the rioters were released - a rare case in the history of England, which dealt very cruelly with sailors who dared to revolt while sailing.

As for the captain of Discovery, the decision of Trinity House (pilotage) officials reads: “Nobody else heard anything about the Hudson and his comrades. And yet there is some reason to believe that they landed safely in James Bay and lived for many months or even years until death came for them. " Unfortunately, these lines, apparently, serve only as an attempt at self-justification for the investigation. No traces were found either then or at a later time. Obviously, the waters of the bay swallowed up the fragile boat and its unfortunate crew.

Whatever the character of the captain, neither he nor those from the crew who ended up in the same boat with him, as well as the sailor left on the shore and probably killed in winter, did not deserve such a terrible end. But perhaps it was not vanity and self-confidence that drove the Hudson, but an obsession with the idea at all costs, at any cost to find a passage and reach China and Japan by the northern route. And the crew once again did not understand the navigator and, fearing for their lives, chose to sacrifice him to save themselves from the "icy horror".

Work description

In 1607, the English "Moscow Trading Company" hired Captain Henry Hudson to search for the northern route to Asia. At that time, the Arctic region was not fully explored, and traders assumed that by moving north, northeast or northwest, they would find the shortest route to Asia. Hudson sailed on the Hopewell ship to the Arctic Ocean and headed northwest. In early June, he reached the eastern coast of Greenland and moved along it in a northerly direction. The Hudson wasted no time and made a map of the area on the way. On June 20, the ship departed from the coast and headed east, reaching the northern tip of the Spitsbergen archipelago on July 17.

The work contains 1 file

Henry Hudson Expeditions

Henry Hudson- (English Henry Hudson; 1570-1611?) - English navigator of the early 17th century, explorer of the Arctic region. His date and place of birth are not known exactly, but according to some assumptions, he was born on September 12, 1570 in London. His exact date and place of death is also unknown, it is assumed that he died in 1611 in the current Hudson Bay in Canada as a result of a riot on a ship. In honor of his name, a bay and strait in eastern Canada was named.

The first Hudson expedition to the Arctic (1607).

In 1607, the English "Moscow Trading Company" hired Captain Henry Hudson to search for the northern route to Asia. At that time, the Arctic region was not fully explored, and traders assumed that by moving north, northeast or northwest, they would find the shortest route to Asia. Hudson sailed on the Hopewell ship to the Arctic Ocean and headed northwest. In early June, he reached the eastern coast of Greenland and moved along it in a northerly direction. The Hudson wasted no time and made a map of the area on the way. On June 20, the ship departed from the coast and headed east, reaching the northern tip of the Spitsbergen archipelago on July 17. At this point, the ship was only 577 nautical miles (1,100 kilometers) from the North Pole, but ice blocked the way. On July 31, Hudson decided to return to England. It is assumed that on the way back, the Hudson discovered Jan Mayen Island (according to other information, it was later discovered by a Dutch captain, after whom he was named).

The second Hudson expedition to the Arctic (1608).

Hudson continued his efforts to find a northern trade route through the Arctic in 1608. This time he moved to the east, but, having reached the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, he again stumbled upon ice blocking the path and was forced to return. This limiting point was previously reached by other ships of the company, but the northern route to Asia was never found.

The third Hudson expedition to the Arctic (1609).

In May 1609, the ship "Halv Maen", whose captain was Guzon, headed for Novaya Zemlya, but before reaching it, he was forced to turn back due to the dissatisfaction of the crew. Instead, the ship sailed westward, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and in early July reached the shoals of the Great Bank of Newfoundland off the coast of Newfoundland Island in North America. The next 4 months were spent exploring the shores of North America. On September 11, 1609, Manhattan Island was discovered. The coast of present-day Maine and Cape Cod has also been explored and described. Despite the fact that these lands were first discovered by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verazzano in 1524, Henry Hudson became the first European to describe these lands in writing. He also sailed upstream of the river now bearing his name (Hudson) to what is now the capital of New York State, Albany. Later, at the mouth of this river, the Dutch founded the city of New Amsterdam, which later became the city of New York. It is believed that the name of the island Staten Island (Dutch. Staaten Eylandt) was also given by Henry Hudson in honor of the States General (Netherlands), the official name of the Netherlands at that time.

The fourth Hudson expedition to the Arctic (1610).

In 1610, Hudson was hired by the Virginia and British East India Companies and embarked on an expedition on the ship Discovery, this time under the English flag. He headed north, arriving on the shores of Iceland on May 11, then on June 4 to southern Greenland, then circled its southern tip and headed west. The Hudson had a strong feeling that a northern route to Asia was finally found. On June 25, the travelers reached the Hudson Strait north of Labrador. Moving south along the coast, on 2 August they reached Hudson Bay. The next few months, Hudson spent exploring and mapping the coast of America. In November, the ship got stuck in the Arctic ice in James Bay, and the crew was forced to go ashore for the winter.

In the spring of 1611, after the path was cleared of ice, Hudson planned to resume research. However, the ship's crew rebelled, demanding a return home. In June 1611, 8 people from the team returned home, having previously disembarked Hudson, his son and 7 more sailors on a rowing boat, leaving them no food or water. More about his fate is not known for certain.

Mowat F. Ice Test. M., 1966

Lit .: Mowet F., Ice Test, trans. from English, M., 1966, Ch. 2; Powys L., Henry Hudson, L. 1928; Neatby L. N., In quest of the North West passage, Toronto, 1958.

Henry Hudson (1570-1611?) - English navigator of the early 17th century. His date and place of birth are not known exactly, but according to some assumptions, he was born on September 12, 1570 in London. He is believed to have died in 1611 in what is now Hudson Bay in Canada as a result of a ship riot. In some Russian-language publications, according to the outdated transliteration of the surname, he is known as Henry Hudson.

[edit] Research

In 1607, the Moscow Trading Company, one of the few companies with a royal charter, hired Captain Henry Hudson to search for the northern route to Asia. At that time, the Arctic region was not fully explored, and traders assumed that by moving north, northeast or northwest, they would find the shortest route to Asia. Hudson sailed on the Hopewell ship to the Arctic Ocean and headed northwest. In early June, he reached the eastern coast of Greenland and moved along it in a northerly direction, while making a map of the area. On June 20, the ship departed from the coast and headed east, reaching the northern tip of the Spitsbergen archipelago on July 17. At this point, the ship was only 577 nautical miles (1,100 kilometers) from the North Pole, and the further way was blocked by ice. On July 31, Hudson decided to return to England. On the way back, Hudson may have discovered Jan Mayen Island (according to other information, it was later discovered by a Dutch captain, after whom he was named).

In 1608, Hudson once again tried to find a northern trade route, this time moving east, but, reaching the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, again stumbled upon ice blocking the way and was forced to return. This limiting point was previously reached by other ships of the company, but the northern route to Asia was never found.

Hudson wanted to continue his search and was hired by the Dutch East India Company. This company was also extremely interested in finding the northern route, and for this purpose the ship Halve Maen was equipped, with Hudson as captain. In May 1609, the ship headed for Novaya Zemlya, but, not reaching it, was forced to turn back due to the discontent of the crew. Instead, the ship sailed westward, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and reached the shoals of the Great Newfoundland Bank off the coast of Newfoundland Island in North America in early July. Then 4 months were spent exploring the shores of North America. On September 11, 1609, Manhattan Island was discovered. The coast of present-day Maine and Cape Cod has also been explored and described. Despite the fact that these lands were first discovered by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verazzano in 1524, Henry Hudson became the first European to describe these lands in writing. He also sailed upstream of the river now bearing his name (Hudson) to what is now the capital of New York State, Albany. Later, at the mouth of this river, the Dutch founded the city of New Amsterdam, which later became the city of New York. It is believed that the name of the island Staten (Dutch. Staaten Eylandt) was also given by Henry Hudson in honor of the States General (Netherlands), the official name of the Netherlands at that time.

On his return to England in November 1609, Hudson was arrested for flying a false flag under the Navigation Acts, a series of English laws established to protect trade routes from the Dutch. However, he was soon released.

In 1610, Hudson again embarked on an expedition on the Discovery, this time under the English flag, hired by the Virginia and British East India Companies. He headed north, arriving on the shores of Iceland on May 11, then on June 4 to southern Greenland, then circled its southern tip and headed west. There was a strong feeling that the northern route to Asia was finally found. On June 25, the travelers reached the Hudson Strait north of Labrador. Moving south along the coast, on 2 August they reached Hudson Bay. Hudson spent the next several months exploring and mapping the coast of America. In November, the ship got stuck in ice in James Bay, and the crew was forced to go ashore for the winter.

In the spring of 1611, after the path was cleared of ice, Hudson planned to resume research. However, the ship's crew rebelled, demanding a return home. In June 1611, 8 people from the team returned home, having previously disembarked Hudson, his son and 7 more sailors on a rowing boat, leaving them no food or water. More about his fate is not known for certain.

Hudson Henry

(1550-1611)

On August 2, at 63 ° 20 "" north latitude, the land appeared, which the Hudson took at first for the protrusion of the mainland (Salisbury Island). The next day, the ship skirted an imaginary ledge, and in the west, under the pale rays of the northern sun, opened up to the sailors a wide silver-blue space free of ice, a calm sea. On August 3, 1610, Hudson made the following entry in the logbook: We walked (west) along the narrow passage between Digs and Labrador. The promontory at the southern entrance of the strait I named Wolstenholme. This is the last entry in Hudson's handwriting. We know very little about Henry Hudson (1550-1611). Researchers have found mention that the expedition of John Davis to America in 1585 was planned at the home of a certain John Hudson in London's Eastand. Consequently, Henry was his son or relative, a very literate and knowledgeable sailor, otherwise the London Moscovite Company (also called the Russian Company) would not have entrusted him with ships for the trip to America.

In 1607, Hudson set sail in search of a way to China and India through the Arctic, bypassing the Spanish and Portuguese possessions. The Hudson headed first north along the eastern shores of Greenland, but came across an ice barrier and, turning east along the ice edge, reached the Newland Islands (now Svalbard). Here he managed to pass up to 80 ° north latitude. Returning to England, he spoke about the possibilities of hunting whales in the High North and thereby contributed to the development of English whaling in the Svalbard region.

In 1607 he undertook a journey with the aim of reaching India and China via the North Pole.
Between Greenland and Svalbard, he was caught by ice and turned back.
Set a record for free movement north 800 23 ", which lasted 158 years.

We know very little about Henry Hudson (1550-1611). Researchers have found mention that the expedition of John Davis to America in 1585 was planned at the home of a certain John Hudson in London's Eastand. Consequently, Henry was his son or relative, a very literate and knowledgeable sailor, otherwise the London Moscovite Company * (also called the Russian Company, * Organized in London by Sebastian Cabot and other London merchants for systematic trade with Russia. expeditions In search of the Northeast Passage.) would not entrust him with ships for the voyage to America.

In 1607, Hudson set sail in search of a way to China and India through the Arctic, bypassing the Spanish and Portuguese possessions. The Hudson headed first north along the eastern shores of Greenland, but came across an ice barrier and, turning east along the ice edge, reached the Newland Islands (now Svalbard).

Here he managed to pass up to 80 ° north latitude. Returning to England, he spoke about the possibilities of hunting whales in the High North and thereby contributed to the development of English whaling in the Svalbard region.

In 1608, Hudson made a second trip to the Arctic with the same Purpose as the first time: to open the Northeast Passage to China and India. In search of ice-free water, he ended up in the part of the sea between Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya. The Dutch navigator Bill Barentsz tried to pass this way before him. Unable to break through to the northeast, Hudson once again tried his luck in the northwest, but even here he was forced to retreat in front of a formidable front of ice fields.

Hudson made his third expedition while in the service of the Dutch East India Company. He left Amsterdam in April 1609 in the small ship "Half-Moon". The Hudson was given the freedom to choose between the Northeast and Northwest Passages. In early May, he was again in the present Barents Sea, near Novaya Zemlya. The expedition found itself in very difficult conditions: it was fiercely cold; heavy ice, invisible in the fog, surrounded the Half-Moon. There was no map of these places. In a small team of eighteen or twenty people, quarrels began, the mood was excited, a riot was preparing. Hudson proposed two options for the route: to go to the shores of America, where, according to a letter and a map sent by Captain John Smith, there was a strait about 60 ° north latitude, or to look for a path further north, through the present Davis Strait. We decided to look for the road indicated by Captain Smith. In mid-May, Hudson entered the Faroe Islands and there, cruising in the American gulfs, tried to find a non-existent road to China.

In June, when Half-Moon was near Newfoundland, one of its masts broke and fell overboard. The Hudson reached the American coast and set up a new mast at the mouth of the Kenebeck River. He became convinced that in those places it was possible to conduct an exchange trade, and the sea was rich in cod. After that, he twice approached the shores of the present states of Maine and Massachusetts, at Penobscot Bay and Cape Cod (south of Boston).

The Hudson rounded this promontory and in August approached the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. There was no strait here, and the Hudson turned north again. In September, he entered New York Harbor, where Verazzano had already been before him, and climbed up the Great Northern River (now the Hudson River). Having reached the place where the city of Albany is now located, he made sure that this path does not lead to China.

In the same year, another European explorer, the Frenchman Champlain, tried to sail to China along the Richelieu River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River. Champlain discovered the lake that bears his name, approaching the same place where the Hudson was, only from the other side. They were only 150 kilometers apart.

Hudson again had misunderstandings with the team, and he decided to return to Holland. On the way, he stopped at the port of Dartmouth in England. Here, the "Half-Moon" was captured by the British government, and the Hudson and other British from his team were banned from traveling to European countries. The British were told that if they wanted to continue discoveries, they must do them in favor of their own homeland.

And so Hudson did. The very next year the British East India Company took the Hudson into its service and gave him a small ship "Discovery" ("Discovery") with a displacement of 55 tons, with a crew of 23 people to search for the Northwest Passage. The Hudson was not completely trusted: it became known that during the last voyage to the American shores, the sailors were very unhappy with their commander and this discontent several times threatened to turn into an open revolt. Therefore, the directors of the company appointed a sailor unfamiliar to the Hudson as a senior officer of Discovery, considering him to be a completely reliable person.

On April 17, 1610, the Hudson left the port of London. At the mouth of the Thames, he landed an "observer" imposed on him. Already at the transition to Iceland, a murmur arose among the team, with which the captain could not get along this time either. From Iceland, the Hudson headed for the east coast of Greenland. There he began to descend south, in vain looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean, rounded the southern tip of Greenland, and from there turned west. Not finding a strait off the northern coast of the Meta-Incognita land, discovered by Frobisher, he rounded this Baffin Land peninsula from the south and on July 5 fell into the real (Hudson) strait. Slowly, by touch, the Hudson led his ship along the northern bank of the strait, clogged with ice. On July 11, he withstood a strong storm, crossed to the opposite shore and reopened the Unga-wa Bay there, then completed the discovery of the entire northern coast of Labrador.

On August 2, at 63 ° 20 "north latitude, the land appeared, which the Hudson initially took for a protrusion of the mainland (Salisbury Island). ice-free space, calm sea On August 3, 1610, Hudson made the following entry in the logbook: “We went (west) along the narrow passage between Digs and Labrador. I named the headland at the entrance of the strait on the south side Wolstenholme. ”This is the last entry in Hudson's hand.

The rest six months later was finished in London by Abakuk Pricket, a sailor from Discovery. Beyond Cape Wolstenholme, the coast turned sharply to the south. The ship sailed along the coast for several weeks. In the west, far from the mainland, in clear weather, the sailors saw land and decided that this was the opposite shore of a wide strait leading them to the Pacific Ocean. In fact, it was a chain of islands that stretched along the western coast of Labrador, 50-150 kilometers from it (Mansel, Ottawa, Two Brothers, Sleeper, King George, Belcher).

We know very little about Henry Hudson (1550-1611). Researchers have found mention that the expedition of John Davis to America in 1585 was planned at the home of a certain John Hudson in London's Eastand. Consequently, Henry was his son or relative, a very literate and knowledgeable sailor, otherwise the London Moscovite Company * (also called the Russian Company, * Organized in London by Sebastian Cabot and other London merchants for systematic trade with Russia. expeditions In search of the Northeast Passage.) would not entrust him with ships for the voyage to America.

In 1607, Hudson set sail in search of a way to China and India through the Arctic, bypassing the Spanish and Portuguese possessions. The Hudson headed first north along the eastern shores of Greenland, but came across an ice barrier and, turning east along the ice edge, reached the Newland Islands (now Svalbard).

Here he managed to pass up to 80 ° north latitude. Returning to England, he spoke about the possibilities of hunting whales in the High North and thereby contributed to the development of English whaling in the Svalbard region.

In 1608, Hudson made a second trip to the Arctic with the same Purpose as the first time: to open the Northeast Passage to China and India. In search of ice-free water, he ended up in the part of the sea between Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya. The Dutch navigator Bill Barentsz tried to pass this way before him. Unable to break through to the northeast, Hudson once again tried his luck in the northwest, but even here he was forced to retreat in front of a formidable front of ice fields.

Hudson made his third expedition while in the service of the Dutch East India Company. He left Amsterdam in April 1609 in the small ship "Half-Moon". The Hudson was given the freedom to choose between the Northeast and Northwest Passages. In early May, he was again in the present Barents Sea, near Novaya Zemlya. The expedition found itself in very difficult conditions: it was fiercely cold; heavy ice, invisible in the fog, surrounded the Half-Moon. There was no map of these places. In a small team of eighteen or twenty people, quarrels began, the mood was excited, a riot was preparing. Hudson proposed two options for the route: to go to the shores of America, where, according to a letter and a map sent by Captain John Smith, there was a strait about 60 ° north latitude, or to look for a path further north, through the present Davis Strait. We decided to look for the road indicated by Captain Smith. In mid-May, Hudson entered the Faroe Islands and there, cruising in the American gulfs, tried to find a non-existent road to China.

In June, when Half-Moon was near Newfoundland, one of its masts broke and fell overboard. The Hudson reached the American coast and set up a new mast at the mouth of the Kenebeck River. He became convinced that in those places it was possible to conduct an exchange trade, and the sea was rich in cod. After that, he twice approached the shores of the present states of Maine and Massachusetts, at Penobscot Bay and Cape Cod (south of Boston).

The Hudson rounded this promontory and in August approached the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. There was no strait here, and the Hudson turned north again. In September, he entered New York Harbor, where Verazzano had already been before him, and climbed up the Great Northern River (now the Hudson River). Having reached the place where the city of Albany is now located, he made sure that this path does not lead to China.

In the same year, another European explorer, the Frenchman Champlain, tried to sail to China along the Richelieu River, a tributary of the St. Lawrence River. Champlain discovered the lake that bears his name, approaching the same place where the Hudson was, only from the other side. They were only 150 kilometers apart.

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Hudson again had misunderstandings with the team, and he decided to return to Holland. On the way, he stopped at the port of Dartmouth in England. Here, the "Half-Moon" was captured by the British government, and the Hudson and other British from his team were banned from traveling to European countries. The British were told that if they wanted to continue discoveries, they must do them in favor of their own homeland.

And so Hudson did. The very next year the British East India Company took the Hudson into its service and gave him a small ship "Discovery" ("Discovery") with a displacement of 55 tons, with a crew of 23 people to search for the Northwest Passage. The Hudson was not completely trusted: it became known that during the last voyage to the American shores, the sailors were very unhappy with their commander and this discontent several times threatened to turn into an open revolt. Therefore, the directors of the company appointed a sailor unfamiliar to the Hudson as a senior officer of Discovery, considering him to be a completely reliable person.

On April 17, 1610, the Hudson left the port of London. At the mouth of the Thames, he landed an "observer" imposed on him. Already at the transition to Iceland, a murmur arose among the team, with which the captain could not get along this time either. From Iceland, the Hudson headed for the east coast of Greenland. There he began to descend south, in vain looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean, rounded the southern tip of Greenland, and from there turned west. Not finding a strait off the northern coast of the Meta-Incognita land, discovered by Frobisher, he rounded this Baffin Land peninsula from the south and on July 5 fell into the real (Hudson) strait. Slowly, by touch, the Hudson led his ship along the northern bank of the strait, clogged with ice. On July 11, he withstood a strong storm, crossed to the opposite shore and reopened the Unga-wa Bay there, then completed the discovery of the entire northern coast of Labrador.

On August 2, at 63 ° 20 "north latitude, the land appeared, which the Hudson initially took for a protrusion of the mainland (Salisbury Island). ice-free space, calm sea On August 3, 1610, Hudson made the following entry in the logbook: “We went (west) along the narrow passage between Digs and Labrador. I named the headland at the entrance of the strait on the south side Wolstenholme. ”This is the last entry in Hudson's hand.

The rest six months later was finished in London by Abakuk Pricket, a sailor from Discovery. Beyond Cape Wolstenholme, the coast turned sharply to the south. The ship sailed along the coast for several weeks. In the west, far from the mainland, in clear weather, the sailors saw land and decided that this was the opposite shore of a wide strait leading them to the Pacific Ocean. In fact, it was a chain of islands that stretched along the western coast of Labrador, 50-150 kilometers from it (Mansel, Ottawa, Two Brothers, Sleeper, King George, Belcher).