or FORBISHER, (Sir Martin), an excellent navigator and sea-officer in the 16th century, was born near Doncaster in Yorkshire, and was from his youth brought up to navigation. He was the first Englishman who attempted to find a north-west passage to China; and, in 1576, he sailed with two bark and a pinnace, in order to attempt that passage. In Frobisher, this voyage he discovered a cape, to which he gave the name of Queen Elizabeth's Foreland, and the next day discovered a strait to which he gave his own name. This voyage proving unsuccessful, he attempted the same passage in 1577; but discovering some ore in an island, and his commission directing him in this voyage only to search for ore, and to leave the farther discovery of the north-west to another time, he returned to England. He sailed again, with 15 ships, and a great number of adventurers, to form a settlement; but being obstructed by the ice, and driven out to sea by a violent storm, they, after encountering many difficulties, returned home, without making any settlement, but brought a large quantity of ore.—He afterwards commanded the Aid in Sir Francis Drake's expedition to the West Indies, in which St Domingo in Hispaniola, Carthagena, and Santa Jutina, in Florida, were taken and sacked. In 1588, he bravely exerted himself in defence of his country, against the Spanish armada, when he commanded the Triumph, one of the largest ships in that service; and, as a reward for his distinguished bravery, received the honour of knighthood from the lord high-admiral at sea. He afterwards commanded a squadron which was ordered to cruise on the Spanish coast; and, in 1592, took two valuable ships and a rich carrack. In 1594, he was sent to the assistance of Henry IV., king of France against a body of the Leaguers and Spaniards, who had strongly entrenched themselves at Croydon near Breck; but in an assault upon that fort, on the 7th of November, Sir Martin was unfortunately wounded with a ball, of which he died soon after he had brought back the fleet to Plymouth, and was buried in that town.

Frobisher's Straits, lie a little to the northward of cape Farewell in West Greenland, and were discovered by Sir Martin Frobisher. W. Long. 48° 16'. N. Lat. 63° 12'.