Hudson

Hudson then entered into an agreement with
the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East In-
dia Company. The contract was drawn on Jan.
8, 1609 (N.S.), signed "Henry Hudson," and
witnessed by his friend and interpreter, Jodocus
Hondius, a famous map maker of Amsterdam.
The Chamber agreed to equip a small ship of
thirty lasts (about sixty tons), well-provided
with men, provisions, and other necessaries.
Hudson covenanted to search for a northeastern
passage by way of the north of Novaya Zemlya,
following that longitude until he was able to turn
southward to sixty degrees latitude. He was to
take observations of the lands he might find, but
without causing unnecessary delay, and if feasi-
ble, to return to Amsterdam to deliver his jour-
nals, charts, and other papers "without holding
back anything." The pay offered him was 800
guilders ($320) for himself and the support of
his wife and children, and, in case he should not
return within a year, the Directors agreed to pay
an additional sum of 200 guilders ($80) to his
wife in liquidation of all further claims. More-
over, should he return within the year with in-
formation of a good convenient passage, the
Company promised "to recompense" him "for his
perils, labors and knowledge in their discretion."
From this contract and supplementary evidence
it is clear that Hudson was committed to north-
eastern discovery, and nothing more. In turn-
ing to America he violated his instructions, but
had he strictly adhered to them his third voyage
would have been a dismal failure. So, on Satur-
day, Mar. 25-Apr. 4,1609, Hudson and his mot-
ley crew of eighteen English and Dutch seamen
sailed from Amsterdam in the ship Halve Maen
(Half Moon), and reached the Texel two days
later. In another month (May 5) he had doubled
the North Cape of Norway on his way to Novaya
Zemlya. Finding his course obstructed by dan-
gerous icebergs, as in the previous year, he was
compelled to abandon all hope of succeeding.
The severity of suffering from fogs and snow-
storms precipitated dissensions between the
Dutch and English sailors, which bordered on
mutiny. Hudson concluded it would be wise to
get out of that dimate as quickly as possible,
whereupon he gave his crew the choice between
going to America in forty degrees latitude, or
searching for a passage through Davis Strait
His information of the American Atlantic coast
was obtained from letters and maps which Capt
John Smith, of Virginia, had sent to him. Hud-
son headed for America. This departure from
his covenant saved his reputation as a discoverer
and put his name on the map of the world For
a month the Hdj Moon was beset by a succession

Hudson

of fierce gales. Early in July, when off the fish-
ing banks of Newfoundland, she presented a
sorry sight. Her foremast was gone and her
sails were rent asunder. About the middle of
that month she anchored on the coast of Maine
for repairs. Two weeks more of sailing brought
her south of Chesapeake Bay. Hudson did not
linger but steered northward, and on Aug. 28
entered the great bay now called Delaware Bay.
He caught a glimpse of Cape May, took some
soundings, and at early dawn of the next day be-
gan to sail up the Delaware River. He became
convinced that this river could not lead him to
China, for he was now in search of a northwest
passage to Asia; hence he turned back, coasted
the shores of New Jersey, passed near Sandy
Hook and the Navesink Highlands (Sept, 2)
and anchored in the Lower Bay. For ten days
more his crew took soundings and explored the
adjacent waters in a small boat On the I2th the
Hdf Moon went through the Narrows as far as
the southern point of Manhattan Island and an-
chored. From the i3th till the I7th she sailed
up the river that now bears Hudson's name, ap-
parently anchoring a little below the present site
of Albany, which he reached on Sept 19. With
his small boat the crew began to explore farther
north, perhaps above Troy. He had been in the
Hudson Valley a month, and Juet, his mate, has
given an account of the experiences and pleasant
impressions of the country. Had his crew gone
so far north as to see the mouth of the Mohawk
River, a description of the great falls would have
been inevitable in Juefs log. On Oct. 4 the Half
Moon passed out of sight of Sandy Hook, and
arrived at Dartmouth, England, on Nov. 7. Hud-
son was prohibited from entering the Dutch serv-
ice again and was commanded by the English
government not to leave England, save in the
service of his own country. But his reports and
other papers were despatched to the Dutch Di-
rectors at Amsterdam during the winter, and an
account of this voyage was in print before he set
out on his fourth and fatal voyage.

The fourth and last expedition was undertaken
for English adventurers, among them Sir Dud-
ley Digges, Sir Thomas Smith, and Master John
Wolstenholme. On Apr. 17,1610 (O. S,), Hud-
son sailed in the bark Discovery from London,
with a crew of twenty-three men. On the way to
the mouth of the Thames trouble began aboard,
and Hudson dismissed summarily one of his men.
It was a foretaste of disaster ahead. On June 4
they sighted the coast of Greenland and soon
thereafter were off Frobisher Bay, By Aug. 2
Hudson had passed through the strait that now
bears his name, and the next day observed "a

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