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CHAP. X.

VOYAGE FROM ENGLAND IN 1536.

IT has been thought unnecessary to speak in detail of the Expedition of Verrazani in 1524, or of that of Cartier in 1534, as they did not advance beyond the points which former Navigators had rendered quite familiar. Of a subsequent voyage from England, in 1536, our information, derived altogether from Hakluyt, is quite meagre, but there was evidently contemplated a more adventurous range of search. The scheme originated with "one Master Hore of London, a man of goodly stature and of great courage, and given to studie of cosmography."* Amongst the company, it is stated, were "many gentlemen of the Inns of Court, and of the Chancerie." One of the persons particularly spoken of, is "M. Rastall, Sergeant Rastall's brother," a name familiar in the Law, from the well-known "Entries" of the brother here alluded to. After a tedious passage, the gentlemen reached Cape Breton and proceeded Northward, but seem to have made little progress when they were arrested by famine, which became so pinching that one individual killed his companion "while he stooped to take up a root for his relief,"† and having appeased the pangs of hunger, hid the body for his own future use. It being ascertained that he had somewhere a concealed store of animal food, he was reproached for his base selfishness, "and this matter growing to cruel speeches," he stated plainly what he had done. The Chief of the Expedition was greatly shocked at this horrible discovery, and made a notable oration, containing how much these dealings offended the Almightie, and vouched the Scrip

Hakluyt, vol. iii. p. 129.

† Ibid. vol. iii. p. 130.

+ Ib.

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tures from first to last what God had in cases of distresse done for them that called upon Him, and told them that the power of the Almighty was then no lesse than in all former time it had bene. And added, that if it had not pleased God to have holpen them in that distresse, that it had bene better to have perished in body, and to have lived everlastingly, than to have relieved for a poore time their mortal bodyes, and to be condemned everlastingly both body and soul to the unquenchable fire of hell."* But in vain did this good man, who was not himself of the Profession, entreat his associates to combat the unhappy tendency to prey on their fellow-creatures; and they were about to cast lots to ascertain who should be killed, when a French vessel unexpectedly arrived "well furnished with vittaile." Notwithstanding the amity of the two nations, it was decided, in the multitude of Counsellors, to consult their own safety at the expense of the new comers. The case being one of plain necessity, they resolved to act on the familiar maxim which permits the law to slumber in such emergencies, and to get possession of the French vessel, viewing it, doubtless, if any argument was had, in the light of the tabula in naufragio spoken of in the books.

The thing would seem to have been managed with fair words and characteristic adroitness. Hakluyt got his information from Mr Thomas Buts, of Norfolk, whom he rode two hundred miles to see," as being the only man now alive that was in this discoverie." Buts must have been very young at the time of the Expedition-probably in London as a student of law or articled to an attorney-and it can hardly be supposed that he was trusted with a prominent part at this interesting crisis, when there were on board men of the experience of Rastall and the others. Yet there was evidently a touch of vain-glory about his narrative to Hakluyt-something of the "pars fui❞—and the old man, though long retired from business, kindled up at the reminiscence: "Such was the policie of the English that they, became masters of the same, and

Hakluyt, vol. iii. p. 130.

changing Ships and vittailing them they set sayle to come into England!"* The despoiled Frenchmen followed these harpies of the law, and made complaint to Henry VIII.

"The King causing the matter to be examined and finding the great distresse of his subjects, and the causes of the dealing with the French, was so moved with pitie that he punished not his subjects, but of his own purse made full and royal recompense unto the French."†

It had been stated at the outset that the adventurers were "assisted by the King's favour and good countenance," which, with his subsequent clemency and generosity, may furnish a suitable answer to the silly tirade of Forster.

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CHAP. XI.

EXPEDITION OF CORTEREAL IN 1574, AND RETROSPECT TO A PRETENDED VOYAGE BY A PERSON OF THE SAME NAME IN 1464.

THE long interval between the voyage of 1536 and that of Frobisher supplies nothing worthy of particular notice. One incident, however, may be glanced at, because it is probably connected with a misconception as to a pretended expedition of much earlier date.

In the work of Hakluyt published in 1582, we find the following passage:

"A verie late and great probabilitie of a passage by the North-West part of America in 58 degrees of Northerly latitude. An excellent learned Man of Portugal of singular gravety, authoritie and experience tolde me very lately that one Anus Cortereal Captayne of the yle of Tercera about the yeare 1574 which is not above eight years past sent a shippe to discover the North West Passage of Ame. rica and that the same shippe arriving on the Coast of the said America in fiftie eyghte degrees of Latitude found a great entrance exceeding deepe without all impediment of ice, into which they passed above twentie leagues and found it alwaies to trende towards the South the lande lying low and plain on either side. And that they persuaded themselves verily that there was a way open into the South Sea. But their victuals fayling them and they beeing but one Shippe they returned backe agayne with joy."

Nothing further is heard on the subject.

One of the idlest of the numerous efforts to detract from the fame of those who led the way in the career of discovery, is the assertion that Newfoundland was discovered by a person named Cortereal as early as 1464, twenty-eight years before the enterprise of Columbus. The following passage on the subject is found in Mr Barrow's Chronological History of Voyages (p. 37).

"The first Navigator of the name of Cortereal, who engaged in this enterprise, was John Vaz Costa Cortereal, a Gentleman of the Household of the Infanta Don Fernando-who, accompanied by Alvaro Martens Hornea, explored the northern

seas, by order of King Alfonso the Fifth, and discovered the Terra de Baccalhaos (the land of Cod Fish) afterwards called Newfoundland.

"This voyage is mentioned by Cordeiro, (Historia Insulana Cordeiro 1 vol. fol) but he does not state the exact date, which however is ascertained to have been in 1463 or 1464; for on their return from the discovery of Newfoundland, or Terra Nova, they touched at the Island of Terceira, the Captaincy of which Island having become vacant by the death of Jacome Bruges, they solicited the appointment, and in reward for their services the request was granted, their patent commission being dated in Evora, 2nd April 1464.

"Notwithstanding this early date of a voyage across the Atlantic, there exists no document to prove that any thing further was done by the Portuguese, in the way of discovery, till towards the close of the fifteenth century; and if the evidence of that in question rested on this single testimony of Cordeiro, and on the fact of the Patent, it would scarcely be considered as sufficiently strong to deprive Cabotas of the honour of being the first who discovered Newfoundland; at the same time if the Patent should specify the service for which it was granted, and that service is stated to be the discovery of Newfoundland, the evidence would go for in favour of the elder Cortereal."

Supposing, for a moment, the statement here made to be correct, it must doubtless be received with astonishment. In all the eager controversies between Spain and Portugal, growing out of the discovery of America by the former power, not the slightest reference is made to this antecedent voyage, although we are apprised, by the letter of Thorne, of a resort even to the falsification of maps. Is it possible that Portugal, during the most stirring period of her history, would not attempt to follow up a discovery which was yet deemed worthy of a signal reward? The younger Cortereal, moreover, we have seen, speaks of the country visited by him in 1501 as before altogether unknown, and of that lying further north as discovered only the year before. Would such language have been used by him, or endured by his countrymen, if he had merely revisited a region discovered thirty-seven years before by a member of the same family?

We have in the work of the Portuguese writer Galvano, translated by Hakluyt, a minute and copious History of Maritime Discovery, in which, though the voyage of Gaspar Cortereal is particularly described, not the slightest allusion is found to this earlier enterprise.

It will probably be considered, also, rather remarkable that when Columbus, twenty years after this discovery, submitted

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