Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664
by J. Franklin, 1859-1937 [Editor] Jameson
- Pages
- about 83
- Category
- History
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1.5 h at 250 wpm
From the opening
Emanuel Van Meteren, On Hudson's Voyage, 1610. In J. Franklin Jameson,
ed., Narratives of New Netherland, 1609-1664 (Original Narratives of
Early American History). NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1909.
We have observed in our last book that the Directors of the East India
Company in Holland had sent out in March last, on purpose to seek a
passage to China by northeast or northwest, a skilful English pilot,
named Henry Hudson, in a Vlie boat, having a crew of eighteen or twenty
men, partly English, partly Dutch, well provided.
This Henry Hudson left the Texel on the 6th of April, 1609, doubled the
Cape of Norway the 5th of May, and directed his course along the
northern coasts towards Nova Zembia; but he there found the sea as full
of ice as he had found it in the preceding year, so that they lost the
hope of effecting anything during the season. This circumstance, and
the cold, which some of his men, who had been in the East Indies, could
not bear, caused quarrels among the crew, they being partly English,
partly Dutch, upon which Captain Hudson laid before them two
propositions. The first of these was to go to the coast of America, to
the latitude of 40 degrees, moved thereto mostly by letters and maps
which a certain Captain Smith had sent him from Virginia, and by which
he indicated to him a sea leading into the western ocean, by the north
of the southern English colony. Had this information been true
(experience goes as yet to the contrary), it would have been of great
advantage, as indicating a short way to India. The other proposition
was to direct their search through Davis's Straits. This meeting with
general approval, they sailed thitherward on the 14th of May, and
arrived on the last day of May with a good wind at the Faroe Islands,
where they stopped but twenty-four hours, to supply themselves with
fresh water.
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