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Arctic Exploration
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W
haling was very dangerous work. The men in the small boat are trying to
harpoon the whale to kill it.
Routes to Cathay
Most of Europe, however, was more interested in the Far
East. Marco Polo had made an overland journey to Cathay
(China) at the end of the 13th century. When he returned
home to Venice he was a wealthy man. He told of silks and
spices and many other goods for trade. The overland route
was very dangerous. So Portuguese, British, and Dutch
navigators
searched for a sea route to Cathay.
Vasco da Gama (see left) sailed around South Africa in
1497-98. He discovered a route for the Portuguese.
Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage (see page 28) was the first
circumnavigation of the world in 1519-1522. His route
took him round South America. These voyages gave
Portugal and Spain southern sea routes to Cathay.
The French, Dutch and English had to go north to find
another way.
John Cabot (about 1425-1499)
was a great explorer who lived in
Venice. When he moved to England,
he was sent in 1497 by King Henry VII
to search for a route to Cathay. He
sailed west and, 52 days after leaving
England, he found land. In fact he had
rediscovered Newfoundland and was
the first European to see it since the
Vikings. But he had not found Cathay
and the English ignored his discovery.
The Arctic Route to Cathay
Many attempts were made during the
next 300 years to find other ways to
Cathay. The English and Dutch tried
ways around North America in one
direction, through the Northwest
Passage. They also tried to find a way
north of Russia in the other direction,
the Northeast Passage. In the end
neither way led them to the wealth
of the Far East.
J
ohn Cabot, shown here with his son Sebastian, left
Bristol in 1497 looking for an Arctic route to
Cathay. He rediscovered North America.
Basque Whalers
A group of tough seafarers lived around
the Bay of Biscay in northern Spain.
They were called Basques and were
whalers. Like the fishermen, the Basques
sailed north. In the cold Arctic Ocean
many lost their lives during the hunt.
Little is known of their voyages. They
were a very secretive people and did
not make records of their trips.