ng the
coast of Virginia he returned north, and on his way discovered Delaware
Bay and the outlet of the Hudson River. After some delay he explored the
river to the present site of Albany, where he again found that his
Northwestern Passage was barred by the shallowing waters of the river.
This was the extent of the explorations of this voyage, from which he
finally returned in safety to London.

China was well known to the people of Hudson's time, but had been
reached always by water around the Cape of Good Hope and along the
southern shore of Asia, or by the long and perilous land journey across
Europe and Asia. It was the dream of all these early navigators to find
a water passage much shorter than the one around the Cape, and for this
they naturally looked to the northwest, where they knew the distance
must be much shorter. They little knew that this search was to continue
for hundreds of years--so long, in fact, that no practicable passage of
that sort is even now known.

The success of Hudson's last voyage probably stimulated the London
Company to take him again into their employment, and to fit out another
vessel in search of that great object of discovery, the northwest
passage. We find him setting out on a voyage, under their auspices,
early in the spring of 1610. His crew numbered several persons, who were
destined to act a conspicuous part in the melancholy events of this
expedition. Among these were Robert Juet, who had already sailed with
him as mate in two of his voyages; Habakuk Pricket, a man of some
intelligence and education, who had been in the service of Sir Dudley
Digges, one of the London Company, and from whose Journal we learn
chiefly the events of the voyage; and Henry Greene, of whose character
and circumstances it is necessary here to give a brief account.

It appears from the Journal, that Greene was a young man of good
abilities, and education, born of highly respectable parents, but of
such abandoned character, that he had forced his family to cast him off.
Hudson found him in this condition, took pity upon him, and received him
into his house in London. When it was determined that he should command
this expedition, Hudson resolved to take Greene with him, in the hope,
that, by exciting his ambition, and by withdrawing him from his
accustomed haunts, he might reclaim him. Greene was also a good penman,
and would be useful to Hudson in that capacity. With much difficulty
Greene's mother wa