They explored the coast of North America and sought a Northwest Passage to Asia.

Drake, after a voyage of two years and a half, [Sidenote: 1577-80] duplicated the feat of Magellan, though he took quite a different course, following the American western coast up to the Golden Gate.

He, too, returned "very richly fraught with gold, silver, silk and precious stones," the best incentive to further endeavor.

But no colonies of permanence and consequence were as yet planted by the northern nations.

Until the seventeenth century their voyages were either actuated by commercial motives or were purely adventurous.