There was to be no visionary exploration for a possibly existing route through the coastline of America, but a direct entrance into Arctic waters in the region of Nova Zembla. in the hope that an open sea, or continuous passage, would there be Hudson, an Englishman, was chosen for the undertaking befound. cause he was known to be familiar with the northern seas -- no Dutch On the 4th of April, navigator of like experience being available. 1609, be sailed from Amsterdam in the " Half-Moon,'' a vessel of some eighty tons burden, with a crew of twenty Dutch and English sailors. Pursuant to his instructions from the company, he set a direct course for the northeast coast of America, which he reached in the latitude of Here, however, he abruptly departed from the plans Nova Scotia. laid out for him, turned southward, passed along the shores of Maine Returning and Cape Cod, and proceeded as far as Chesapeake Bay. northward from that region, he followed the windings of the coastline until, on the 2d day of September, he sighted the Highlands of Navesink. Dropping anchor in the Lower Bay on the 3d, he remained there his ship's boat the surrounding ten days, meantime exploring withwith the Indians was friendly, the waters. Although his intercourse a conflict with them, in provoked boat men whom he sent out in the which one of the exploring party, John Coleman, was killed and two On the 12th of September he steered the " Halfmen were wounded. Moon " through the Narrows, anchoring that evening somewhere in the Upper Bay, probably not far from the lower extremity of Manhattan Island. The next day he began his voyage up the river, and after making a distance of eleven and one-half miles again came to anchor.