Gabriel

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shipstamps
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Gabriel

Post by shipstamps » Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:41 pm

A special Canadian commemorative stamp honouring Sir Martin Frobisher was issued on August 21 1963. Sir Martin, who was born in 1535 and was raised in Normanton, Yorkshire, was a staunch advocate of a search for the North West Passage to the wealth of Cathay and India. The first stage of his dream was realised in 1576 when he set sail from Ratcliffe, on the Thames, with three ships, the Gabriel, Michael and a small 15-ton pinnace. At Deptford the small fleet anchored, the pinnace having fouled another vessel and damaged her bowsprit and foremast.
Sailing from Deptford on Friday, June 8, 1576, they proceeded along the east coast of England and Scotland, going as far north as Fair Isle before setting a westerly course. On July 11, 1576, they sighted the southern tip of Greenland, the first men to sight the land since the Vikings had discovered and lost it. Passing the tip of Greenland, they set course to the north west and eventually discovered what is known today as Frobisher Sound.
The expedition, which was financed by the Russia Company, would have been written off as a complete loss but for the fact that Frobisher brought back a black stone which glistened like marcasite or gold. It created so much excitement that a gold mining company, the Cathay Company, was formed to finance a second expedition, which sailed from Blackwall on May 26, 1577. The vessels were the Ayde, 200 tons, and the Gabriel and Michael, each about 30 tons. This expedition also proved abortive, as did Frobisher's third voyage in 1578. No North West Passage was found, no gold mined. He did however map a considerable area of previously unknown land.SG537
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Gabriel

Post by aukepalmhof » Sat Dec 05, 2020 7:34 pm

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12697&p=20870#p20870

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