The pages of Juet's journal tell nothing of Hudson's own hopes, fears and anticipations. Yet, it is fair to conclude that Juet's enthusiasm over the beauty and value of the great valley was shared by his captain and that the ship's log was, in a sense, a reflex of Hudson's own views. There is no hint of Hudson's belief that he could reach China by this route, yet it is reasonable to suppose he entered New York Bay in the hope that the "great stream' would lead through the land to the Pacific. The great size of the bay and river, and the fact that the tide flowed far into the land, and that for the first few days' sail the water remained salt, no doubt encouraged him to keep on through this most promising opening in the land. Favored by "fairer weather') and a favorable breeze he steered northerly over the wide salt arm of the sea until the apparent strait became a river and the sea water became fresh. At the High lands all hope of a road to China must have faded away. Still, he would sail on, push through the mountains and see what manner of country lay beyond.
The items of the log book plainly show that Hudson, after passing the Highlands, began to recognize the transcendent importance of his discovery. He had found a new land of sur passing beauty and fertility and everywhere clothed in splendid forests. Hudson clearly recognized the commercial value of his dis covery, for the log book enumerates all ,the potential wealth of the river and valley in fish, game, lumber, fruits, vegetables, grains and peltry. It even mentions the fact that Hudson, while the ship was at anchor some where near the present city of Hudson, sent the ship's carpenter ashore to fashion a new fore arm out of one of the primeval trees — the first bit of lumbering done by white men in the valley. Hudson seems to have decided, after reaching the upper river and sailing to a point opposite the Catskills, that the best way to mollify his owners on his return would be to report as fully as possible the potential wealth he had discovered and he sent a boat up the river to explore the country. The boat party
appears to have been absent several days, for they rowed up stream about nine leagues or perhaps beyond Albany, where, as the log book says, the boat found "it bee at an end for shipping to goe in — with hut seven foot water and unconstant soundings.° Meanwhile Hud son evidently traded with the Indians for peltry, no doubt regarding the furs as some thing that would demonstrate to his merchant owners the value of his discovery.
Three weeks after the Hall Moon entered "the great streame" she again passed Sandy Hook and steered away for Amsterdam. There is no record of the return voyage, nor is there any record of Hudson's report to the merchants of Amsterdam, yet it is evident that his story and perhaps the exhibit of peltry created a tre mendous sensation in the commercial cities of Holland. Hudson appears not to have cared much about this side of the affair. He seems to have considered his voyage a failure. He had tried to reach China and failed, and wished to sail again, but the merchants seem to have been wholly occupied in fitting out new ships under mere captains and would not listen to him. At last, after some delay, he did secure a second ship and set forth once more to find a sea path through America. He appears to have thought there might be a passage round by the north of America and he steered for Baffin's Bay. Once more he found a great passage leading westward into the land, once more a salt water strait seemed to promise success, but it only led to an inland sea. His miserable crew, ignorant, frightened at the arctic cold and gathering ice, rose in mutiny, and putting their great captain in an open boat, with his son, a boy of seven, and some invalid sailors, set them adrift in the vast waters of Hudson Bay and left them there to perish. Consult Read, 'Historical Inquiry Concerning Henry Hudson' ; Janvier, 'Henry Hudson) (1909).