William Baffin
| William Baffin | |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | London |
| Died | |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | |
Baffin, William,
c.1584–1622, British arctic explorer. He was pilot on two expeditions (1615–16) sent out to search for the Northwest PassageNorthwest Passage,water routes through the Arctic Archipelago, N Canada, and along the northern coast of Alaska between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Even though the explorers of the 16th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. under command of Robert Bylot, who was formerly with Henry Hudson. The first expedition vainly tried to find a channel in Hudson Bay N of Southampton Island. The second attempt, NW through Davis Strait, led to exploration of what was later called Baffin Bay and the northeast shore of Baffin Island. The existence of Baffin Bay was discredited until 1818 when Sir John Ross confirmed Baffin's discovery and observations. Baffin's conviction that the Northwest Passage did not exist discouraged arctic exploration for a time. His narratives were edited by Sir Clements Markham in 1881.