Introduction

Summary

Hudson'S river, Hudson's strait, and Hudson's bay, remind every educated man of the illustrious navigator by whom they were explored. But though the name of Henry Hudson possesses these preservatives against oblivion, little more has been done on its behalf, and few persons have any accurate notion of the real extent of his merits. By considering Hudson as the discoverer of the three mighty waters that bear his name, we indeed both overrate and underrate his deserts. For it is certain that these three localities had repeatedly been visited and even drawn on maps and charts long before he set out on his voyages. Nor did he himself claim the discovery of the strait and bay. He was fully aware that he was but proceeding further on a track opened up by his predecessors. On the other hand, we may perhaps be too ready to overlook those parts of Hudson's achievemeuts that have left their marks less strikingly on the geographical delineations of our globe. They are very important nevertheless. The mere extent of his voyages is sufficient to place him very high among the explorers of the north. He surpasses in that respect all other arctic navigators, except one or two of our own days, who have enjoyed immense advantages over him.