[Footnote 11: The middle of the island of Cuba is in long. 80 deg. W. from
Greenwich, which would have carried Cabot into the interior of Hudsons
Bay, to which there is no appearance of his having penetrated, in the
slight notices remaining of his exploratory voyage. - E.]
[Footnote 12: We have before seen that he named the country which he
discovered, the island of St John, and that he gave the name in this
part of the text, baccalaos, to the fish most abundant in those seas,
which we name cod. - E.]
[Footnote 13: It is probable this applies to the tide of flood setting
into the Gulf of St Lawrence or Hudsons Bay or both; which led Cabot to
expect a passage through the land to the west - E.]
SECTION V.
Testimony of Francisco Lopez de Gomara, concerning the discoveries of
Sebastian Cabota[14].
Sebastian Cabota, who came out of England into Spain, brought most
certain information of the country and people of Baccalaos. Having a
great desire to traffic for spices, like the Portuguese, he fitted out
two ships with 300 men, at the cost of Henry VII. of England, and took
the way towards Iceland from beyond the Cape of Labradore, until he
reached the lat. of 58 deg. N. and better. Even in the month of July, the
weather was so cold and the ice in such quantities, that he durst not
proceed any farther. The days were so long as to have hardly any night,
and what little there was, was very clear. Being unable to proceed
farther on account of the cold, he turned south; and, having refreshed
at Baccalaos, he sailed southwards along the coast to the 38 deg. of
latitude[15], from whence he returned into England.
[Footnote 14: Hakluyt, III. 30. quoting Gomara, Gen. Hist. of the W.
Indies, Book II. Ch. iv.]
[Footnote 15: By this account the progress of Cabot to the south along
the eastern coast of North America, reached no farther than coast of
Maryland. - E.]
SECTION VI.
Note respecting the discoveries of Sebastian Cabot; from the latter
part of Fabians Chronicle[16].
IN the 13th year of Henry VII. by means of John Cabot, Venetian, who was
very expert in cosmography and the construction of sea-charts, that king
caused to man and victual a ship at Bristol, to search for an island
which Cabot said he well knew to be rich and replenished with valuable
commodities. In which ship, manned and victualled at the kings expence,
divers merchants of London adventured small stocks of goods under the
charge of the said Venetian. Along with that ship there went three or
four small vessels from Bristol, laden with slight and coarse goods,
such as coarse cloth, caps, laces, points, and other trifles. These
vessels departed from Bristol in the beginning of May; but no tidings of
them had been received at the time of writing this portion of the
chronicle of Fabian.
[Footnote 16: Hakluyt, III. 30. quoting from a MS. in possession of Mr
John Stow, whom he characterizes as a diligent collector of
antiquities.]
In the 14th year of the king however, three men were brought from the
New-found-Island, who were clothed in the skins of beasts, did eat raw
flesh, and spoke a language which no man could understand, their
demeanour being more like brute beasts than men. They were kept by the
king for some considerable time; and I saw two of them about two years
afterward in the palace of Westminster, habited like Englishmen, and not
to be distinguished from natives of England, till I was told who they
were; but as for their speech, I did not hear either of them utter a
word.
SECTION VII.
Brief notice of the discovery of Newfoundland, by Mr Robert
Thorne.[17]
As some diseases are hereditary, so have I inherited an inclination of
discovery from my father, who, with another merchant of Bristol named
Hugh Eliot, were the discoveries of the Newfoundlands. And, if the
mariners had followed the directions of their pilot, there can be no
doubt that the lands of the West Indies, whence all the gold cometh, had
now been ours; as it appears by the chart that all is one coast.
[Footnote 17: Hakluyt, III. 31. quoting a book by Mr Robert Thorne,
addressed to Doctor Leigh.]
SECTION VIII. Grant by Edward VI. of a Pension, and the Office of Grand
Pilot of England to Sebastian Cabot[18]
Edward the Sixth, by the Grace of God king of England, France, and
Ireland, to all believers in Christ to whom these presents may come,
wisheth health. Know ye, that in consideration of the good and
acceptable service, done and to be done to us by our well-beloved
servant Sebastian Cabot, we of our special grace, certain knowledge and
goodwill, and by the councel and advice of our most illustrious uncle
Edward Duke, of Somerset, governor of our person, and protector of our
kingdoms, dominions, and subjects, and by advice of the rest of our
councillors, have given and granted, and by these presents give and
grant to the said Sebastian Cabot a certain annuity or yearly revenue of
one hundred and sixty-six pounds, thirteen shilling and fourpence
sterling[19], to have, enjoy, and yearly to receive during his natural
life from our treasury at the receipt of our exchequer at Westminster,
by the hands of our treasurers and chamberlains for the time being, by
equal portions at the festivals of the annunciation of the blessed
virgin, the nativity of St John the Baptist, of St Michael the
Archangel, and the nativity of our Lord. And farther, as aforesaid, we
grant by these presents so much as the said annuity would amount to from
the feast of St Michael the Archangel last past unto this present time,
to be received by said Sebastian from our foresaid treasurers and
chamberlains in free gift, without account or any thing else to be
yielded, paid or made to us our heirs or successors for the same.
