CAPTAIN GIBBONS

Summary

Captain Gibbons, it will be recollected, accompanied Sir Thomas Button on his voyage in 1612, as a volunteer; and it is evident the knight entertained a very high opinion of his relative. Sir Thomas “saith, albeit that hee is so neere in blood, as that modestie will not allow of his speaking too much of his merit, yet hee will boldly say thus much of his sufficiency, as that he is not short of any man that ever yet he carried to sea. All that he can say of him further is, that for his countrie's, and for the aduancement of this business they had in hand, he could wish his body were answerable to his other abilities, which, were it, not himselfe, but many, and his country most, would be the better for it.” With this strong testimony in his favour, given by a competent judge, Captain Gibbons undertook the advancement of the business; and failed most wofully.

Captain Gibbons was placed in the command of the Discovery, the consort of the Resolution in his previous voyage. Neither the date of his departure, nor that of his return, is recorded; but the voyage was made in the course of the year 1614.

Of the result of the voyage, all that is known is thus laconically communicated by Master Fox. “Little” he says, “is to be writ to any purpose, for that hee was put by the mouth of Fretum Hudson, and with the ice driven into a bay called by his company Gibbons his Hole, in latitude about 57° upon the N.E. part of Stinenia, where he laid twenty weekes fast amongst the ice, in danger to have been spoyled, or never to have got away, so a the time being lost, hee was inforced to returne”.