De Gama doubles the Cape. Behem. thefe expenfive wars, were being dealt to the queenly city. We take the fecond of these first. After a tedious courfe of voyages, Vafco de Gama doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and coafted fuccessfully the western shores of Africa, reaching Calicut, on the Malabar coaft, on the 24th May, 1498, A. D. Loading his fhip with the produce of that country, and of the more remote regions which he found there, he escaped a multitude of dangers, and returned fafely to Portugal. Here he had a moft gracious reception, and the king at once fecured by papal bull the fole right to trade with the new lands thus vifited, which were, in fact, treated as new discoveries by Portugal. This was a mortal ftab to the trade of Venice, from which it never recovered. The other blow, though in reality first ftruck, was more flow, but even more certain, and just as fatal in its operation. As long fince as A. D. 1460 (so the archives of Nuremberg ftate) one of their citizens, Martin Behem by name, had failed in quest of the mythical land discovered in the Atlantic by the Carthaginians. He reached Madeira, and founding a colony of Flemings there was by the king of Portugal made governor of Fayal, and in 1484, in ships provided by the king, he, it is faid, difcovered Brazil, and even the straits now known by the name of Magellan. His own letters, a terreftrial globe, and charts of the lands thus difcovered, are faid to have been depofited in 1492, and are still preferved in the archives of his native city. Hartman Schedl, and Petreus Matreus, writing two years before the discoveries of Columbus, confirm this. It would be exceedingly interesting to have this verified, but our decided opinion is that he merely drew on his map the theory which Columbus afterwards practically carried out, and we very much doubt the correctness of the date 1460. This chart is faid to have determined Magellan in the course he pursued. Authors agree that Columbus had fome information refpecting the western fhores, though they all speak very vaguely as to its fource; Globe and Charts at Nuremberg. Columbus. Hears of the Discovers Spain, her wealth. now if this Behem was governor of Fayal during the feveral voyages Columbus made to the Madeiras, the mystery is, we think, explained. Nor does it detract from the honours due to Columbus, for Behem does not seem to have thought that he had found more than an ifland, and that not one of the rich Indies fo ardently defiderated. Columbus, when at last he got a chance, took a more northerly courfe than Behem; and whilst he really found islands—and very rich ones- -even he never dreamt of a continent so near at hand, of which, be it remembered, he never faw the fhores until August 1498, A.D. This discovery of the central part of America put Spain into poffeffion of immense treasures, which were gradually diffused over Europe. These stimulated the industry of other nations, and made them exert themselves in fuch a way as foon to leffen the demand for the Eastern goods through the expensive channel of Venice, There a gradual decline of trade had, from the middle of the century, neceffitated a more diftant fearch for customers. "If the mountain would not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the mountain." From this caufe, probably, about 1460 or 1470, John Cabot, who it is expressly faid "came to London to follow the trade of merchandize," found his way to Bristol, the second city in the kingdom, and containing, as we fhall by-and-by fee, at least some congenial and brotherly adventurous fpirits. In this city, not being allowed, by existing jealous charters, which prescribed that no stranger tradesman should dwell in or tarry in the town for the fale of his wares beyond forty days, he could find no refting place. John Cabot fettles at Bristol. "Carta Johannis Comi tis Moreton, A. D. 1188, afterwards King John, alfo 36 Henry III.1252 A.D., alfo 28 Ed ward I. 1300 He would most likely then fettle in the suburb nearest to the town and fhipping. A.D., &c. &c.” Those on the north and weft were already occupied by the Jews (Jacob's Wells and Stonebridge), between whom and the Venetians there was no congeniality of feeling. The eastern suburb lay too far from the river, fo that there was only the fouthern left; and Langmead and Lokeings Croft, now Cathay, a Bristol fuburb. Tradition fays Sebaftian was born here. Eden, fol. 255. known as Cathay, running right up under the very shadow of old St. Mary Redcliffe Church, would, to the foreigner, compelled to live and trade outfide the bounds of the city, offer the most convenient fite. Doubtless, other Venetians traded here also, and their goods being moftly from Cathay, as the Indies were called, we may fairly fuppofe gave the locality the defignation which it bears to this day. Here then it is probable John Cabot fettled (and traded), having for a fhort period as a near neighbour, on the other fide of the church, the famous William Canynge. May we not conjecture also that the wealthy English merchant and the rich Venetian trader ftruck hands at many a bargain, and drank not a few tankards of fpiced Canary together? Somewhere in this locality his two younger fons, Sebastian and Sanctus, were born; for though we know what Sebastian is reported to have told Contarini, the plain fimple words of his utterance to R. Eden are fo natural and truthful, that we at once accept them, and will deal with the other statement elsewhere. Eden says, then (fol. 255): |