Having reached a clear sea, Hudson pursued his course northwest, and in a short time saw land bearing southwest, which appeared very mountainous and covered with snow.  This he named Desire Provokes.  He had now entered the Strait which bears his name, and, steering west, he occupied nearly the whole month of July in passing through it.  To the various capes, islands, and promontories which he saw, he gave names, either in commemoration of some circumstance, which happened at the time, or in honor of persons and places at home, or else for the reward of the discoverer.

Some islands, near which he anchored, and where his ship was but just saved from the rocks, he called the Isles of God’s Mercies.  On the 19th, he passed a point of land, which he named Hold with Hope.  To the main land, which he soon after discovered, he gave the name of Magna Britannia.  On the 2d of September, he saw a headland on the northern shore, which he named Salisbury’s Foreland; and, running southwest from this point about fourteen leagues, he entered a passage not more than five miles in width, the southern cape at the entrance of which he named Cape Worsenholme, and that on the north side, Cape Digges.

He now hoped that the passage to the western sea was open before him, and that the great discovery was at length achieved.  He therefore sent a number of the men on shore at Cape Digges, to ascend the hills, in the hope that they would see the great ocean open to them beyond the Strait.  The exploring party, however, were prevented from making any discovery, by a violent thunder storm, which soon drove them back to the ship.  They saw plenty of deer, and soon after espied a number of small piles of stones, which they at first supposed must be the work of some civilized person.  On approaching them, and lifting up one of the stones, they found them to be hollow, and filled with fowls, hung by the neck.  They endeavored to persuade their commander to wait here, till they could provision the ship from the stores, which were thus remarkably provided for them.  But his ardor was so great to find his way into the ocean, which he felt convinced was immediately in the vicinity, that he could suffer no delay, but ordered his men to weigh anchor at once; a precipitancy which he had afterwards reason bitterly to regret.  Having advanced about ten leagues through the Strait, he came into the great open Bay or sea which bears his name.

Having entered the Bay, he pursued a southerly course for nearly a month, till he arrived at the bottom of the Bay; when, finding that he was disappointed in his expectation of thus reaching the western seas, he changed his course to the north, in order to retrace his steps.  On the 10th of September, he found it necessary to inquire into the conduct of some of the men, whose mutinous disposition had manifested itself a good deal of late.  Upon investigation, it appeared, that the mate, Robert Juet, and Francis Clement, the boatswain, had been the most forward in exciting a spirit of insubordination.  The conduct of Juet at Iceland was again brought up, and, as it appeared that both he and Clement had been lately plotting against the commander, they were both deposed, and Robert Billet was appointed mate, and William Wilson boatswain.