Basic Books, 2009

Hardcover, 288 pages, $26.95

A poignant tale of a tragic voyage

“Like the needle of a compass, Henry Hudson was always attracted by the North.”  With these words, Peter Mancall introduces us to the 17th century world of the English explorer Henry Hudson. 

Before proceeding, I would like to say it is a rewarding feeling when a former student (I was his history teacher in high school) achieves prominence as a scholar and author. Peter Mancall is a professor of early Modern History at the University of Southern California and the author of several excellent books, including the well-received Hakylut’s Promise, published by the Yale University Press in 2007.

“The lust for spices provided an unavoidable push for explorations of new routes,” Mancall writes. In the 16th and 17th centuries, England was anxious to find a northern route to the riches of the Spice Islands, which would enable them to avoid contact with Spain and Portugal, who controlled the conventional routes around Africa or South America to the distant South Pacific. “Physicians sought spices for their medicinal value; cooks wanted the zest that enlivened otherwise dull dishes.”

2009 was the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York Harbor, which occurred on September 11, 1609. Convinced that he had found a shorter route to Asia, Hudson sailed up the river that bears his name. Of course he failed, but Hudson returned to England full of confidence and with a growing reputation as an explorer.

Between 1607-1611 Hudson made four voyages to the northern latitudes of the New World. By 1610, we are told, “no English mariner of the age knew the North Atlantic as well as Henry Hudson.” Even though he had yet to find the fabled route to the Indies, it is no surprise that he received financial backing for a fourth voyage to seek a northern route.

Fatal Journey is the sad story of that last voyage, which occurred during 1610 and 1611. “When he set sail on his ship Discovery with a crew of 24, Hudson was “the most qualified man in Europe to find the Northwest Passage.”  Undoubtedly there was a bit of hubris in Hudson, as he felt he knew what to expect after his previous voyages.

Unfortunately Hudson ran into major difficulties on his final voyage. These included a discontented crew and the experience of being forced to spend the winter in the frozen waters of James Bay, north of Quebec. Professor Mancall writes, “The travails faced by a wooden sailing vessel paled in comparison to those of humans who had to endure a winter they could never have imagined.”

Fatal Journey is both poignant and tragic. Henry Hudson is presented as a dominating, unyielding captain, consumed with an Ahab-like obsession to seek a northern passage. When the ice finally thawed in June of 1611 Hudson insisted on continuing his search. Rebellious crewmembers rose against him and put Hudson, his son and seven loyal sailors adrift in a small boat, never to be seen again. I won’t reveal what happens to the mutineers on their return to England, except to say that it was six years before they were brought to trial.

Mancall includes the interesting details of a 17th century voyage. For example, we are told that on some of the larger vessels, en route to the distant Pacific, their crews staged performances of Hamlet and Richard II. Drawings, prints and maps from the period further enhance the book. Fatal Journey has received critical acclaim in Canada and was a book-of-the month selection by the History Book Club.