Martin Frobisher's Arctic Voyages (1576–1578)

Timeline

1. 1576Frobisher Bay · Baffin IslandFrobisher set out from England with three small vessels, crossed the North Atlantic to the southern shore of Baffin Island, and entered the bay later named after him. The expedition clashed with Inuit and captured one person, who died on the return voyage. Frobisher brought back a sample of black rock, mistakenly identified as gold-bearing ore.
2. 1577Baffin Island · CanadaSpurred by news of the "gold-bearing ore," Frobisher sailed north again with a larger fleet, established a temporary mining camp on Baffin Island, and shipped large quantities of black rock back to England. He continued to survey for a passage but still failed to find a Northwest Route to the Pacific.
3. 1578North of the entrance to Hudson Strait · CanadaIn 1578 Frobisher led the largest expedition yet, fifteen ships, back to the Arctic, claiming sovereignty over "Meta Incognita" for the queen. The fleet became scattered in heavy fog and pack ice, several ships were wrecked, and the mining venture collapsed once the ore was proven to be pyrite. The three voyages ended with the passage unopened and the gold rush a failure, but they laid the foundation for England's early geographical knowledge of the North American Arctic.