John Davis's expeditions, 1585–87
| Dates | Explorer | Ships | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1585–87 | John Davis | Voyage 1: Sunshine, Moonshine Voyage 2: Sunshine, Moonshine, Mermaid, North Star Voyage 3: Sunshine, Elizabeth, Ellen |
• Didn’t find the North-West Passage. • Major advances in Europe’s understanding of the Eastern Arctic, exploring Davis Strait and discovering entrance to Hudson strait |
The second Elizabethan explorer who went searching for the North-West Passage was John Davis. His first voyage took place in 1585 where he explored Cumberland Sound. Despite travelling deep into the sound he could not find any obvious opening that would lead to the fabled North-West Passage. Davis was confident however that he was on the brink of a breakthrough. He believed that the passage could still lie through Cumberland Sound or would be found further north, past a body of water that today bears his name: Davis Strait.
Second and third voyages
He returned twice in 1586 and 1587, his backer covering some of the costs of one expedition with the addition of two fishing vessels. Though he didn’t succeed in travelling any further west than Frobisher and was halted by ice as he went northward in Davis Strait, his study (and mapping) of this area and the discovery of the entrance to what would later become known as Hudson Strait greatly increased Europe’s knowledge of the arctic.
His skill as a navigator is evidenced in his invention of the Davis Quadrant which provided a simple method of finding the angle of the sun above the horizon (without having to sight directly on it) enabling mariners to find their latitude. He also wrote a book entitled Seamen’s Secrets 'wherein is taught the three kindes of sayling'.
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