In 1607, Captain Henry Hudson, with a small crew and his son John as cabin boy, sailed north to find a short way to China. They hoped to go over the top of the world. This was the first of four voyages.

Again and again, they were turned back by fearful storms and dangerous ice. But Captain Hudson would not give up. He never did find China. But he found whales and walrus, hot springs and mermaids. And, in the end, he discovered a great river and a great bay and charted rich lands in America.

Carl Carmer, famous for his historical stories and for The Hudson, gives a vivid picture of hostile Indians, a treacherous mate, and the other dangers Captain Hudson faced so bravely.

From the dust jacket