The voyagers in the "Matthew," 1497, fee no inhabitants. "Venetian Calendar," P. 260. The tides. northerly point of Cape Breton, and the point ftruck gave them a view at once of Nova Scotia and of Prince Edward's Island. We must here carefully draw the line between this voyage and that defcribed by Peter Martyr, where the inhabitants, beasts, and fishes were feen; that, we fhall fhow, was on the next voyage, in 1498, after this exploring one in 1497, for on this it is expressly stated, by Pafqualigo, that after failing on the coaft. for more than 300 leagues, they faw no inhabitant, but finding fome felled trees and a fnare for game, together with a needle for making nets, they retreated haftily to their ships, and brought the two prizes, the needle and the fnare, home to England, and fhewed them to the king, paffing on their way two iflands to starboard, which the Venetian Envoy defcribes as being large and fertile new islands (does he mean in contradistinction to those found in 1494?), but being preffed for time, and short of provifions, they haftened home." They also told the king that the tides were flack on that coast, and did not flow as they do in England. Cartwright's "Sixteen Labrador." The intelligent reader will bear in mind that a large portion of the coaft thus furveyed Years in was the southern part of Labrador, and the rugged fhores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which later writers describe as a heap of bare and frightful rocks, a region which even now is, and ever will be, moft fparfely populated. When the voyagers got back into a more genial clime, where they probably faw the large and fertile lands, there were two cogent archipelago. reasons why they fhould not land, but at once hurry homewards; had time permitted, doubtlefs they would here have found inhabitants. Sebaftian Cabot was, as we have shewn, in the very prime and vigour of manhood in 1494, being then twenty-two years of age. The above reafons, combined with the date on the existing old map, harmonizing as they do with Cabot's own statement as to the lively emulation caused by the discoveries of Columbus, fatisfy us that the first land feen was Nova Scotia, in the year of grace 1494; and that Sebastian was one of its difcoverers, as well as a sharer in the fubfequent expedition. Newfoundland Island, thought then to be an Sebaftian's 1494, age in discovery was made. F "Venetian An admiral for whofe board and not his pay he is refpon fible. CHAPTER V. Was John Cabot knighted? his death. Sebaftian in fole command of the expedition under the Charter of 1498. This Charter altogether misunderstood; is a rider on the previous one, allowing colonization, and encouraging trade; annuls no previous privilege; proofs; route now taken by Iceland; lands the emigrants; fails north, enters and partially explores Hudson's Bay, gets among the ice, crew terrified; returns to Baccalaos, defcribes natives, buge fifb, large bears, &c. &c. Corroborative teftimony; coafts Southward, to Florida and home. 'HE Flanders' galleys, which failed yearly from Venice, calling at England on their way, had a cap tain general, who was permitted to have an admiral under him; he, the said The falary of captain, finding him his board. Whether the the admiral paid as ufual by the mafters, p. 148. elder Cabot was one of these admirals, or failing masters, is doubtful. Pasqualigo fays the English termed him the great admiral on his return from his voyage, and then it must have been that he was knighted, if ever; but of this we have serious doubts, as there is nothing but the vague infcription on the portrait to really warrant the fuppofition. True there feems to have been a traditionary rumour to that effect, and it is quite poffible that death may have followed fo closely on the spurs of the knight as to leave no trace in hiftory for Sebaftian tells us that about this time his father died, leaving him (Peter Martyr informs us) very rich, and full of ambition. It cannot be fuppofed that fuch a man would lightly abandon that which had been fo hardly won. He was John Cabot's fon; he had at least a fourth fhare in the patent, had been, if nothing more, a partner in all the previous discoveries; a large fum had been invefted by the family, which had brought, as yet, no adequate return; nothing but an empty title, or right to trade with the new found lands;-his intereft, as well as his enthusiasm and his ambition, pointed clearly his Was John Cabot an admiral or failing-mafter and pilot, and hence derived a title. Ramufio, "Venice," ed. 1543. Ramufio, first vol. ed. 1554. Biddle's adventurous spirit the road to further exploration and colonization. The probability is that the fons continued to trade under the well-known name of their father, rather than change the title of the firm. For though it is probable that John Cabot was alive when the fecond patent was granted, in February, 1498, it is morally certain that he was dead when the expedition failed under the command of Sebaftian. Much stress has been laid on the fact, that this fecond patent is made out in the name of John Cabot only; and the omiffion of the names of the three fons is thought to be somewhat fignificant. The cafe was altered now, say they; any seaman could find his way to the new found land; and the fhrewd avarice of the penurious king would fee how much more it was to his intereft to employ profpective adventurers, rather than those whose charters would trench heavily on the Royal prerogative; none could, under the first charter, trade without a license from the Cabots, and fo this was made in favour of John, an |