ng it, he continued this course for nearly a month,
having much severe weather and a succession of gales, in one of which
the foremast was carried away. Having arrived at the 45th degree of
latitude, he judged it best to shape his course westward, with the
intention of making Newfoundland. While proceeding in this direction he
one day saw a vessel standing to the eastward, and wishing to speak her
he put the ship about and gave chase; but finding as night came on that
he could not overtake her he resumed the westerly course again.

On July 2d he had soundings on the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, and saw a
whole fleet of Frenchmen fishing there. Being on soundings for several
days he determined to try his luck at fishing; and the weather falling
calm he set the whole crew at work to so much purpose that, in the
course of the morning, they took between one and two hundred very large
cod. After two or three days of calm the wind sprang up again, and he
continued his course westward till the 12th, when he first had sight of
the coast of North America. The fog was so thick, however, that he did
not venture nearer the coast for several days; but at length, the
weather clearing up, he ran into a bay at the mouth of a large river, in
the latitude of 44 deg.. This was Penobscot Bay, on the coast of Maine.

He already had some notion of the kind of inhabitants he was to find
here, for a few days before he had been visited by six savages, who came
on board in a very friendly manner and ate and drank with him. He found
that from their intercourse with the French traders they had learned a
few words of their language. Soon after coming to anchor he was visited
by several of the natives, who appeared very harmless and inoffensive;
and in the afternoon two boats full of them came to the ship, bringing
beaver-skins and other fine furs, which they wished to exchange for
articles of dress. They offered no violence whatever, though we find in
Juet's journal constant expressions of distrust, apparently without
foundation.

They remained in this bay long enough to cut and rig a new foremast, and
being now ready for sea the men were sent on shore upon an expedition
that disgraced the whole company. What Hudson's sentiments or motives
with regard to this transaction were we can only conjecture from a
general knowledge of his character, as we have no account of it from
himself. But it seems highly probable that, if he did not project it, he
at