HUDSON, HENRY, English navigator and explorer. The first of his voyages in quest of new trade and a short route to China by way of the North Pole, in accordance with the sug gestion of Robert Thorne (d. 1527), was made for the Muscovy company with ten men and a boy in 1607. Hudson first coasted the east side of Greenland, and sailed along the great ice barrier until he reached "Newland," as Spitsbergen was then called, and followed its northern coast to beyond 8o° N. lat. On the home ward voyage he accidentally discovered an island in lat. 71° which he named Hudson's Touches, and which has since been identified with Jan Mayen island. Molineux's chart, published by Hakluyt about 1600, was Hudson's blind guide in this voyage, and the polar map of 1611 by Pontanus illustrates well what he attempted. He investigated the trade prospects at Bear island, and recom mended his patrons to seek higher game in Newland ; hence he may be called the father of the English whale-fisheries at Spitsbergen.
Next year Hudson was again sent by the Muscovy company to open a passage to China, this time by the north-east route between Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. In this voyage (April 22 Aug. 26) he raked the Barents sea in vain between 75° 3o' N.W. and 71° 15' S.E. for an opening through the ice, and on July 6, "voide of hope of a north-east passage (except by the Waygats, for which I was not fitted to trie or prove)," he resolved to sail to the north-west, and if time and means permitted to run 1 oo leagues up Lumley's Inlet (Frobisher strait) or Davis's "overfall" (Hudson strait). But he was compelled to return without accom plishing his wish. The Muscovy company thenceforward directed all its energies to the profitable Spitsbergen trade.
Towards the end of 16o8 Hudson "had a call" to Amsterdam, where he saw the cosmographer Plancius and the cartographer Hondius, and, after some delay, undertook for the Dutch East India company his third voyage to find a passage to China either by the north-east or north-west route. With a mixed crew of 18 or 20 men he left the Texel in the "Half-Moon" on April 6, and by May 5 was in the Barents sea, and soon afterwards among the ice near Novaya Zemlya. Some of his men becoming disheartened and mutinous, he submitted to them, as alternative proposals, either to go to Lumley's Inlet and follow up Waymouth's light, or to make for North Virginia and seek the passage in about 4o° lat., according to the letter and map sent him by his friend Cap tain John Smith. The latter plan was adopted, and on May 14 Hudson set his face towards the Chesapeake and China. He touched at Stromo in the Faroe islands for water; an accident (June 5) off Newfoundland compelled him to put into the Kenne bec river. Sailing again on July 26, he began on Aug. 28 the survey where Smith left off, at 37° 36' according to his map, and coasted northwards. On Sept. 3, in 4o° 3o', he entered the bay of New York, and after having gone 15o m. up the river which now bears his name to near the position of the present Albany, treating with the Indians, surveying the country, and trying the stream above tidewater, he became satisfied that this course did not lead to the South seas or China. On Oct. 4 the "Half-Moon" left for the Texel, and on Nov. 7 arrived at Dartmouth, where she was seized and detained by the English Government, Hudson and the other Englishmen of the ship being commanded not to leave Eng land, but rather to serve their own country. The voyage exploded Hakluyt's myth, which from the publication of Lok's map in 1582 to the 2nd charter of Virginia in May 1609 he had lost no oppor tunity of promulgating, that near 40° lat. there was a narrow isth mus, formed by the sea of Verrazano, like that of Tehuantepec or Panama.
A new company was formed to support Hudson in a fourth attempt on the North-West passage, the principal promoters being Sir Thomas Smith (or Smythe), Sir Dudley Digges and John Wolstenholme. He determined this time to carry out his old plan of searching for a passage up Davis's strait. Hudson sailed from London in the little ship "Discovery" of 55 tons, on April 17, 161o, and entered the strait which now bears his name about the middle of June. Sailing steadily westward he entered Hudson bay on Aug. 3, and spent three months examining the eastern shore of the bay. On Nov. 1 the "Discovery" went into winter quarters in the S.W. corner of James bay, being frozen in a few days later. On the ship breaking out of the ice in the spring Hudson had a violent quarrel with a young fellow named Henry Greene, who now retaliated by inciting the discontented part of the crew to put Hudson and eight others (including the sick men) out of the ship (June 22, 161I) . Robert Bylot was elected master and brought the ship back to England. During the voyage home Greene and several others were killed in a fight with the Eskimo, while others again died of starvation, and the remnant which reached England in September were thrown into prison. Nothing was ever heard of the deserted men.
The four great geographical landmarks which to-day serve to keep Hudson's memory alive, namely the Hudson bay, strait, territory and river, had repeatedly been visited and even drawn on maps and charts before he set out on his voyages; but he carried his discoveries beyond the limits of his predecessors. The fisheries of Spitsbergen and the fur industry of the Hudson Bay Territory were the immediate fruit of his labours.