Henry Hudson's expedition, 1610–11
| Dates | Explorer | Ships | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1610–11 | Henry Hudson | Discovery | Whilst others had sighted the entrance to what is now known as the Hudson strait, Hudson pushed through – providing a major entry point to North America |
When the search for the North-West Passage resumed over 30 years after Davis's last attempt it was led by the most prominent English navigator of the time, Henry Hudson. He never returned from the expedition.
In Hudson Strait
His ship Discovery was swept by tides into what is now known as Hudson Strait. Pushing westwards through ice-choked water the Discovery reached the end of the strait six weeks later. In his last journal entry Hudson describes passing a narrow channel between two capes which he named Cape Wolstenholme and Cape Digges (on what is now known as Digges Islands) – both named after financiers of the voyage – and there he observed ‘a sea to the westward’ (this being today’s Hudson Bay). This was at the beginning of August.
Hudson pushed south to reach James Bay by 1 November. By the 10th the Discovery was frozen in and the crew became the first Europeans to winter in the Canadian Arctic.
Mutiny
When the ice began to break up in the following spring the crew wanted to return home after an arduous winter, but Hudson was resolved to continue with his quest, hoping he might find a westerly exit from the bay. The result was mutiny. On 23 June Henry Hudson, along with his son and some loyal crew members, were cut adrift in a shallop (a small boat for use in shallow water) and were never seen again.
The Discovery took the long journey home, losing many of the remaining crew on the way. The navigator was Robert Bylot – who would return in search of the North-West Passage several times, notably as captain of the Discovery accompanied by William Baffin in 1615.
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