The Northeast Passage #2

Hudson's 2nd Voyage 1608

Journal 2: The Northeast Passage

After three months I was ready to sail again, in the same ship, for the same company.
This time I went looking for a Northeast Passage.
I was employed by the Russia Company (also called the Muscovy Company).
Dr. John Dee convinced me that heir is a sea passage, along with Sebastian Cabot, the founding governor of the Muscovy Company.
I had been eight months since my last voyage.
I sailed as a captain of the Hopewell, for the Muscovy Company before as well.
This time the ship was strengthened with extra planks to help it make its way through icy waters.
We also had Robert Juet aboard as the master seaman.
This time we had a crew of 14 plus my son John.
April
22: We left St. Katherine’s Docks, on the Thames, London, but Robert Juet started to get on your nerves.

vb 2

May
We sailed northeast for a month, rounding the northern tip of Norway in late May, and then went on into the Barents Sea, but the only problem was that the ship’s carpenter fell ill.

vb 3

June
3: I sighted the North Cape at 71 degree N, and we also encountered ice, but were able to evade it.
8: I noted that the color of the sea changed near ice.
15: Thomas and Robert saw a mermaid at 75 degree 7 minutes N.
18: We reached the ice barrier to the port side.
22: At 74 degree 35 minutes N we sailed southeast, as we were surrounded by ice.
26: I sighted land at 72 degree 25 minutes N, which was 12-15 miles away.
27: We reached the islands of Novaya Zemlya, north of Russia but weren’t able to go further north because of the ice.
30: I sent some of my men to explore the land.

vb 4 vb 5

July
1: The ice was nearing the ship, and then I ordered some of the crew to explore the sound and a river at the head of the bay.
2: I spotted a river while on the island, and decided to explore it.
4: I sailed 15-18 miles upriver but the water became too shallow to continue to about six feet, thus i sent Juet and five others in a boat to explore the river.
5: My crew returned after travelling another 18-24 miles upstream, saying it became too shallow to go further.
6: Then I ordered to set sail west and southwest, thus heading back where we came from.
11: I again noticed a green sea, which was pestered with ice.
26: The crew had to burn lights again at night because the midnight sun is no longer with them.
30: We were at Lofoten Islands, north of Norway.

vb 6

August
7: I had planed not to go home to England, the crew was at a near-munity, but I agreed with them.
26: Our ship returned to Gravesend, England, and because of my failure the English lost interest in this goal, But I got hired by the Dutch for a third voyage.

Henry Hudson