I used all diligence to arrive at London and therefore I now gave my crew a certificate under my hand, of my free and willing return, without persuasion or force by any one or more of them.

Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northwest Passage to Cathay (today's China) via a route above the Arctic Circle. Hudson is thought[by whom?] to have spent many years at sea beginning as a cabin boy and gradually working his way up to ship's captain. Henry Hudson (born c.

Hudson discovered a strait and immense bay on his final expedition while searching for the Northwest Passage. 1560s/70s) was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. He explored the river which eventually was named for him and laid thereby the foundation for Dutch colonization of the region.