Henry Hudson

The Journey Begins! September 3, 2009

Henry Hudson was born in England, and was the grandson of a London’s Senior Council member, also the founder of the Muscovy Company.

An experienced sea man Henry was hired by his grand father’s company to find a quick way from England to the “island of spicery,” but failed, even after two attempts.

Then in 1609 The Dutch East India Company, which had domination over trade, wanted to shorten their lengthy and expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope. So once again Henry got hired for this job, and was provided with an 80-ton ship and a crew of 20, including Dutch and English.

He started to sail along on the coast of Norway, and then headed west towards the warmer climes. Hudson had a hard time with his crew but managed to move on.

The quest led them towards the coast of Maine, where they halted and cut timber to replace the mast of the ship. They fished and traded with the natives. After days of planning, they sailed north to the mouth of the Hudson River.

Next Hudson began the exploration of the river. The first night they stopped off the northern tip of Manhattan. Then the following night, the crew traded for oysters with the natives near Yonkers.

Henry thought he has found the way, but was later disappointed when they reached a shallower area near Albany and had to turn back.

Hudson called this river, “the river of the mountains.”

When the ship was passing Manhattan, some natives became hostile. So Henry ordered to fire guns at them, thus killing several of them.

After leaving the river, they sailed across the Atlantic and safely arrived at the port of Dartmouth, in Devonshire.

So next year, Henry made his final journey. Some wealthy people form London still thought that there was a faster route to the east. Then Hudson was set off as the captain to find a North-West passage.

They sailed north, into the Hudson Strait and from there into the Hudson Bay. The ship became trapped in ice and the crew started to quarrel. Then the ring-leaders, Juet and Henry Greene, set Hudson, his son, and some other men in a small open boat and they were never seen again.

Then later the ship was able to escape, by the captaincy of Robert Bylot, reached England.