North-East, and in 1576 Martin Frobisher started on an exploring
voyage, after having had the honour of a wave of Elizabeth's hand
as he passed Greenwich. He reached Greenland, and then Labrador,
and, in a subsequent voyage next year, discovered the strait named
after him. His project was taken up by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, on
whom, with his brother Adrian, Elizabeth conferred the privilege of
making the passage to China and the Moluccas by the north-westward,
north-eastward, or northward route. At the same time a patent was
granted him for discovering any lands unsettled by Christian princes.
A settlement was made in St. John's, Newfoundland, but on the return
voyage, near the Azores, Sir Humphrey's "frigate" (a small boat
of ten men), disappeared, after he had been heard to call out,
"Courage, my lads; we are as near heaven by sea as by land!" This
happened in 1583.

Two years after, another expedition was sent out by the merchants
of London, under John Davis, who, on this and two subsequent voyages,
discovered several passages trending westward, which warranted
the hope of finding a northwest passage. Beside the strait named
after him, it is probable that on his third voyage, in 1587, he
passed through the passage now named after Hudson. His discoveries
were not followed up for some twenty years, when Henry Hudson was
despatched in 1607 with a crew of ten men and a boy. He reached
Spitzbergen, and reached 80 deg. N., and in the following year reached
the North (Magnetic) Pole, which was then situated at 75.22 deg. N. Two
of his men were also fortunate enough to see a mermaid--probably
an Eskimo woman in her _kayak_. In a third voyage, in 1609, he
discovered the strait and bay which now bear his name, but was
marooned by his crew, and never heard of further. He had previously,
for a time, passed into the service of the Dutch, and had guided
them to the river named after him, on which New York now stands. The
course of English discovery in the north was for a time concluded
by the voyage of William Baffin in 1615, which resulted in the
discovery of the land named after him, as well as many of the islands
to the north of America.

Meanwhile the Dutch had taken part in the work of discovery towards
the north. They had revolted against the despotism of Philip II., who
was now monarch of both Spain and Portugal. At first they attempted
to adopt a route which would not bring them into collision with
their old masters; and