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 "Čavo 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.

landfall of John Cabot in 1497, they would observe that the commemoration now proposed will not commit the Royal Society of Canada, as a whole, to the definite acceptance of that theory. The alternative theory of a landfall on Labrador excludes any possibility of a commemoration there; because no locality on a coast extending over eight degrees of latitude has been specially indicated, excepting Cape Chidley, which is unapproachable because of ice at the time of the landfall, and, if a lower latitude be assumed, the want of means of communication on the coast of Labrador renders it for such a purpose inaccessible. The event to be commemorated is the discovery of the continent of America on the 24th of June 1497-an event of profound importance, the far-reaching consequences of which cannot be overestimated. Such an event the Royal Society of Canada cannot afford to ignore. Nevertheless, although the Society may not definitely decide upon the locality of the landfall, it is fitting that the commemoration should take place upon the Atlantic coast of the Dominion; for, beyond all question, it was along that coast that Cabot sailed, and he did not penetrate into any part of the gulf. It will be remembered that the council of the Royal Society, at the meeting in May last, suggested that a permanent memento of the great achievement of Cabot should be erected upon some point of the Nova Scotia coast. Your committee would remark that no place on the whole Atlantic coast seems so suitable as Sydney. On the brow of the hill overlooking the mouth of the harbour is an ideal spot for such a monument. Standing there, the spectator may look out eastward upon a stretch of ocean, unbroken

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