ight be made to hold out till the breaking up of the ice in the spring.

About the middle of November, John Williams, the gunner, died. We are
not informed what was his disease, but we are led to suppose from the
Journal, that his death was hastened, if not caused, by the unkind
treatment he experienced from Hudson. It appears very evident from the
simple narration by Pricket, that "the master," as he calls him, had
become hasty and irritable in his temper. This is more to be regretted,
than wondered at. The continual hardships and disappointments, to which
he had been exposed, and especially the last unhappy failure in
discovering the northwest passage, when he had believed himself actually
within sight of it, must have operated powerfully upon an ardent and
enthusiastic mind like his, in which the feeling of regret at failure is
always proportionate to the strength and confidence of hope when first
formed. In addition to this, the troublesome disposition of the crew,
which must have caused ceaseless anxiety, undoubtedly contributed much
to disturb his calmness and self-possession, and render him precipitate
and irritable in his conduct. Many proofs of this soon occurred.[2]

[Footnote 2: In reading the account of this Arctic expedition, we must
remember that the author has followed very closely the journal of
Pricket and has not tried to determine the truth or falseness of
that man's statements. It does not seem probable that a man of
Hudson's character should so suddenly become peevish and irritable,
nor that his judgment should so suddenly become weak. The journal
was probably written to defend Pricket's share in the disgraceful
transaction, and so events were colored to suit himself.]

The death of the gunner was followed by consequences which may be
regarded as the beginning of troubles that in the end proved fatal. It
appears that it was the custom in those times, when a man died at sea,
to sell his clothes to the crew by auction. In one respect, Hudson
violated this custom, and probably gained no little ill will thereby.
The gunner had a gray cloth gown or wrapper, which Henry Greene had set
his heart upon possessing; and Hudson, wishing to gratify his favorite,
refused to put it up to public sale, and gave Greene the sole choice of
purchasing it.

Not long after this, Hudson ordered the carpenter to go on shore, and
build a house, or hut, for the accommodation of the crew. The man
replied, that it would now