The last voyage in the seventeenth century, in search of this passage, was undertaken in consequence of the representations of a Frenchman to Charles II.  From the same cause proceeded the establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company by that monarch.

Canada was at this time colonized by the French; and a French settler there, De Gronsseliers, an enterprising and speculative man, after travelling in various directions, reached a country, where he received information respecting Hudson’s Bay:  he therefore resolved to attempt to reach this bay by sea.  In the course of this undertaking he met with a few English, who had settled themselves near Port Nelson River:  these he attacked, and by their defeat became master of the country.  He afterwards explored the whole district, and returned to Quebec with a large quantity of valuable furs and English merchandize; but meeting with ill-treatment in Quebec, and afterwards at the court of France, he came to England, where he was introduced to the Count Palatine Rupert.  The prince patronized all laudable and useful enterprises; and persuaded the king to send out Captain Gillam, and the Frenchman with him.  The ship was loaded with goods to traffic for furs.  They passed through Hudson’s Straits to Baffin’s Bay, as far as 75 degrees north latitude:  they afterwards sailed as far to the south as 51 degrees, where, near the banks of a river, called after Prince Rupert, they built Charles Fort.  This was the first attempt to carry on commerce in this part of America.

We must now return to the period of the first attempt to find out a north-east passage to India.  A society of merchants had been formed in London for this purpose.  Sebastian Cabot, either the son or the grandson of John Cabot, and who held the situation of grand pilot of England under Edward VI., was chosen governor of this society.  Three vessels were fitted out:  one of them is particularly noticed in the contemporary accounts, as having been sheathed with thin plates of lead.  Sir Hew Willoughby had the chief command:  Captain Richard Chanceller and Captain Durfovill commanded the other two vessels under him.  Willoughby, having reached 72 degrees of north latitude, was obliged by the severity of the season to run his ship into a small harbour, where he and his crew were frozen to death.  Captain Durfovill returned to England.  Chanceller was more fortunate; for he reached the White Sea, and wintered in the Dwina, near the site of Archangel.  While his ship lay up frozen, Chanceller proceeded to Moscow, where he obtained from the Czar privileges for the English merchants, and letters to King Edward:  as the Czar was at this period engaged in the Livonian war, which greatly interrupted and embarrassed the trade of the Baltic, he was the more disposed to encourage the English to trade to the White Sea.  We have already remarked, in giving an account of the voyage of Ohter, in King Alfred’s time, that he had penetrated as far as the White Sea.  This part