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CHAPTER VIII

ON what part of the continent of North America did John Cabot land in 1497 ? To what extent did he view the coast in the course of his first

voyage? It is certain that Cabot, who was a skilful cosmographer as well as an intrepid navigator, set out the result of his voyage upon a map, and also on a globe.1 Unfortunately, both the map and the globe, so far as we know at present, have perished. But it is now conceded on all hands that the beautiful planisphere of Juan de la Cosa, constructed by him in 1500, the genuineness of which has never been impeached, includes the result of the voyage of 1497. Inasmuch as the

Spanish Ambassadors were in possession of the information afforded by John Cabot's own map, it is more than probable that La Cosa had at his disposal the very best evidence obtainable. The map is drawn on an ox hide, 5 feet 9 inches long by 3 feet wide, on a scale of 15 Spanish leagues to a degree, and is now preserved in a glass case in the naval museum at Madrid. It is an exquisite production in colours, and is richly decorated in gold. It is probably the best designed map of the period. Its testimony is all the greater because it was a map made by a skilful cosmographer, from 1 Ante, p. 148.

authentic information which, in all probability, was better known in Spain than in England. It is fairly certain that the map was kept secret,-at anyrate the details of the map did not appear in any subsequent Spanish map or chart. This map was discovered by Humboldt in the library of Baron Walckenaer in 1832. It was purchased by the Queen of Spain in the year 1853.

The flags throughout the map are marked in the correct colours of the various nationalities. In the highest portion to the west is a small English flag, and an inscription, "Cauo [Cavo] de Ynglaterra" (Cape of England), which, according to some eminent authorities, represents Cape Race. But this is by no means a certainty, although there seems to be considerable evidence to support the conjecture. Dr. Dawson says: "The Cavo de Ynglaterra cannot be taken for any other than that characteristic headland of North-East America, which for almost four hundred years has appeared on the maps under one name in the various forms of Cape Raz, Rase, Razzo, or Race, a name derived from the Latin rasussmooth, shaven, or flat. That the name is expressive and appropriate will be seen from the following engraving from a photograph taken for the Department of Marine of Canada, which has the care and maintenance of the lighthouse upon this historic landmark of the highway between the old and the new worlds."

The termination of the point of the English discovery is marked on La Cosa's map by a legend as follows: "Mar descubierta por yngleses" ("sea discovered by the English.") It will be seen by

a glimpse at the map that the last inscription, reading from east to west, before that which shows the sea discovered by the English, is "Cauo [Cavo], descubierto" ("the discovered Cape"). A glance at the map shows that the land coasted by Cabot trends in an eastward direction from the "Mar descubierta por ingleses" to the "Cavo de Inglaterra." The argument put forward by many persons, founded upon this inscription, to the effect that the name "Cavo descubierta" indicates the landfall of John Cabot, is well represented by the words used by Dr. Dawson in his summary of the various views put forward as to the landfall in 1497. "There was no other meaning to the name than the discovered cape; and as this map of La Cosa's was, beyond reasonable doubt, based on John Cabot's own map which Pedro de Ayala, the Spanish ambassador, had from him and promised, in July 1498, to send to King Ferdinand, we have here John Cabot indicating his own landfall in a Spanish translation." 1

The difficulties connected with any attempt to fix the landfall at any particular spot are now pretty generally recognised. In a report of the Canadian Committee, appointed in May 1895, in relation to the commemoration in 1897 of the discovery of the mainland of North America by John Cabot, the following, amongst other references, deals with the difficulties as regards the landfall :—

"While the committee are of opinion that the greatly preponderating weight of evidence points to the easternmost cape of Cape Breton as the

1 The Discovery of America by John Cabot in 1497, being Extracts from the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Canada, relative to a Cabot Celebration in 1897, etc., p. 16.