The agreement with Ojeda for the second voyage, says Biddle, is found to enjoin a continuation of his examination of the region he had discovered on the former voyage, and which seemed to run east and west, as it must lead towards (Hacia), the place where it was known the English were making discoveries. He is directed to set up marks as he proceeds with the Royal Arms, so that it might be known he had taken possession for Spain, and the English be thereby prevented from making discoveries in that direction (Navarette, tom. iii. p. 86). "Item: que vaes è sigais aquella costa que discubristes que se corre leste -vuest, segun paroce, per razon que va hácia la parte donde se ha sabido que descubrian los Ingleses é vais poniendo las marcas con las armas de SS. A. A. ó con otras señales quesean conocidas, cuales vos pareciere porque se conozca como vos habes descubierto aquella aquella tierra, para

what is known as the Cantino map. The original is in the Biblioteca Estense at Modena. It is beyond doubt that the map was constructed for Alberto Cantino, in Portugal, about the year 1502. Cantino was the representative of the Duke of Ferrara. Did space permit, a great deal of interesting information might be given as to the bearing of the Cortereal voyages on the respective claims of Portugal, Spain, and England. In some respects the map gives confirmation to the genuineness of the La Cosa map. The Cantino map clearly proves that the art of map-making had made great progress. The constructor of the map has produced a beautiful example of his skill. The continents are coloured green, the islands are portrayed in blues and reds. tropics are shown in red, the Equator in gold, and the papal line of demarcation in blue. The land of Brazil is decorated with representations of tall trees in green, gold, and brown, while other representations of the rich vegetation are coloured in different shades of blue. Brazil was named "The Land of Parrots," and on the map are three delicately coloured representations of paraquets. The north-western portion of the map sets forth twenty inscriptions, seven being the names of capes, one the name of a river, another of an island, a third of a lake, and so on.

The

que atages el descubrir des los Ingleses por aquella via."

A grant of land was made to Ojeda, in consideration prospectively of his active exertions to prosecute discoveries and to check those of the English (Navarette, tom. iii. p. 88.) "Para que labrees, é faques labrar, é vos aprovecheis é podais aprovechar de alli, para lo que habees de descubrir é en la costa de la tierra firme para el atajo de los Ingleses."

Apart from these meagre and unsatisfactory references to the presence of the English, from which it seems pretty clear that the Cabot expedition of 1498 reached some part of the mainland now called America, all authentic information on the subject comes abruptly to an end. In all probability the knowledge of the movements of the English had become known to La Cosa, and it may be that his map contains the result of the progress of the Cabot expedition in 1498. But this is not absolutely certain. The map, however, is almost certain to contain information of a reliable character. Again, and yet again, we are irresistibly driven to ask-Did John Cabot and his expedition, or any persons connected therewith-other than the Friar and those associated with him, who were driven back by stress of weather-ever return to England? Numerous ideas have been hazarded.1 But is it not

1 "But we do not know when they returned to England, nay, whether John Cabot survived the expedition, or where it went. Our only information is that Lancelot Thirkill, who owned or commanded one of the ships, was in London, June 6th, 1501. At that date he repaid a loan of £20 made to him by Henry VII. Mr. Desimoni justly presumes that it may have been the one of March 2nd, 1498, received from the King while fitting out a ship for the voyage (Harrisse, pp. 134, 135). The reference given by Harrisse to the MS.

most probable that the absence of all information as to the return of John Cabot's expeditions is due to the fact that they all perished? If Ojeda really met with them it is pretty clear that he would have had very little doubt as to the course to be adopted; it may be considered certain that he would have felt justified in exterminating men who, according to his view of the papal bull, were incurring the wrath of the Church, and had placed themselves in the position of excommunicated persons. Of course there may not be the slightest ground for such a suggestion, but it is not to be regarded as an impossible solution of the mystery. Then, we must also remember, quite apart from the possibility of Ojeda having met with the English adventurers, that the natives had a nasty habit of making short work of the intruders on their land. Here, again, we are merely plunging ourselves into a mass of conjectures from which it is not possible to extract any real informa

in which the supposed entry of repayment is given is incorrect. The following entry, which is taken from the B.M. Add. MS. 21,480, folio 766, refers to two future payments for the livery [of seisin], that is, the actual delivery of certain lands. These amounts have no connection whatever with the payments (ante, pp. 154, 155) to Thirkill by Henry VII.; in fact, it is not at all certain that the sums paid by the king were loans in the true meaning of the word. "Prest-money

means a payment for impressment, and it is highly probable, although it is not a certainty, that the king impressed or requisitioned Thirkill's ships. On the 6th June 1501, Lancelot Thirkell Thomas Par Walt. Strickland and Thomas Mydelton ar bounde in 1/ obliğ [obligation] to pay at Whitsontyde next coming xxli and that day twelve moneth xl marcs for lyverye of Flemyngs lands." In the absence of any distinct contemporary statement that Thirkill actually sailed from Bristol in 1498, the question must be relegated to the realm of probabilities. And even if we consider that the probabilities are in favour of Thirkill's having joined in the expedition, we are at once met with another probability, namely, that he may have joined the ship in which the Friar returned! Directly you commence to wander from actual facts, you are never sure as to your ultimate destination.