The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-07-15
CHAPTER Ii.

CHAPTER H.
FIRST PERIOD, (from 1892 10 1919, )IN WHICH
THE ST. LAWRENCE is DIsCoyERED.
The Cabots, 1896, discover North America. The Cor
tereals, l500 visit the Gulf of ST. Lawrence. Fate
OF the Coereals The French, 1906, fishing New
ioundland. Subsequent events. Gold fever of I6th
century Verazan's Voyages, 1898 His fate. Jac-
4ues Carriers first voyage 1884. seeks passage TO
India The land of Cain. Enters the Gulf See the
first Canada Indians First Rencontre with North
ern Indians Commencement of North American
Fur Trade July 4th, 1884. Encounter Indians ;
MicnaCs
Christopher Columbus having in 1892 first be-
held The new world, four years afierward in I496,
John Cabot, an Italian, sailing under Il commits
sion from Henry, the VII, King Of England, dis
covered and landed in North America, a year
before the Genoese nav gator reached the main
land OF the northern continent. La the follow ny
year, his son, Sebastian Cabot, commissioned by
the same king, discovered the important island Of
Newfoundland, and explored much Of the Amer
can coast as high up as Labrador, quite 10 la,-
tude 80 or SO deg. n. and south as far as Florida
About this time, one Of the most iiIusifious
houses of Portugal, with much enthusiasm and no
small loss, devoted itself to western navigation
This house was that Of Cotereal; for Il member
of which, John NaZ Cotereal's claims are ad-
vancud as having discovered Newfoundland near-
y u century before the voyages Of Columbus and
the Cabois. In 1900, his son, GQspar C0iereoi,
Immediately upon the discovery Of the Western
World. resolved 10 emulate the enterprise of
Of Columbus and obtaining from the king two
ships, proceeded north-westward IN search Of q
passage TO India in the higher attitudes. Respect
Ing the details OF this voyage, there remain only
detached shreds. His first attempt appears to
have been made by the broad opening Of The Gulf
of s. Lawrence, which he probably assembled, tiI,
the narrowing channel and the descending current,
showed II to terminate In "a river, and TO afford
no bopeof passage westward He then steered
norhwards, passing along The coast since called
Labrador, bu, which, in The early maps, bears
from him, the name of Cotereutis Alter a run
of eight hundred miles, penetrating almost TO the
polar regions, he returned TO Portugal. lie again
sailed next season with two vessels, guiding them
directly 10 the most northery point of his former
voyage; and here entered s,rait Hudson s. or
more probably, Frobisher's: when a tempest
arose, which separated his vessels, one Of which
succeeded in reaching Portugal; bu! its consor,,
having on board the gallant leader Of the exped-
ton. "returned no more \ younger brother,
Micheal Cotereal, annmated with the most ten
der affection 10 Gaspar, and with conseua' spirit
Of enterprise, determined TO depart in search Of
him. Having equipped three vessels, he sailed
Oh the 10ih of May, 1902, from The port of Lisbon.
On arriving at the Numerous openings into Hud-
sons Bay, the captains adopted the imprudent
plan Of separating, and each exploring particular
inlet Two of these vessels subsequently me, and
returned but Niicheal and his crew shared the
fate Of those they had gone 10 seeh-tley returned
not, and none have ever known how or where
they perished. Sill Third brother of this brave
race, Vasco Eanes Cotereal, besought permission
10 search for his lost kindred even amid the
ahvsses Of the frozen SEES but the king forbade
the PROJECT, exclaiming it too much 10 have
lost two Of his hest and most faithful servants
he could not spare another.
OF the discovery of the island OF Newfoundland
and of ils banks abounding with fish, valuable on
account Of the lcn,al ia great demand III the Cath
ole countries Of Europe, ibe French appear to
have immediately availed themselves. consId-
. erably in advance Of the English, at whose cost
the discovery was made We find them described,
so early az the beginning Of the 10th century, as
already ''ishug for Cod on the banks of New
foundIand, and along the coast Of what was
afterwards known as Canada and 1t is On record
. that in 1906, the wear Columbus died, and within
nine wears after the Cabots' voyages, The French
had acquired such knowledge Of those seas, that
one of them, Jean Denys, a native Of Roueu,
drew and published a map of the Gnlf of St
Lawrence (no, then named y and within about
two years. subsequently, one Thomas .Aubert. a
ship master Of Dieppe. carried over 10 France
with the exception Of some EsqumauS, taken to
Portugal by Gaspar Cotereal, the first North
American Savages ever seen IN Europe.
This, it nav be well to note at the start. was
76 wears before Raleigh sent his first expedition
to the coast of Virginia in l5s4;* ninety
years before Gilbert and Gosnold visited and
named New England, in 1902 one hundred and
twelve years prior TO the landing Of the Pilgrims
at Plymouth, in 1920 and one hundred and
eight years previous to the first attempts a; set
ting jamestown. This shows, that however
tardy the French authorities were TO make dis
coveries by sea, the French people and French
J seamen were not slow to adventure boldly where.
ever the glimpse of opening was presented
for their enterprise. They nonopo''zed me val
uable fisheries of Newfoundland for quite twenty
wears. before the English in 1919, participated a
ali in the fruits of their own discovery.
Tbough The avenues to Canada were thus .appa.
rently well known to Frenchmen, its actual dis
covery and exploration was delayed for number
Of wears by the gold and silver furor Of that period
which. like our present California fever, ther
: preysjied, oil mems minds being stimulated by
,he glowing accounts Of the Spanish Conquesf'
in Peru and Mexico In 1928, however, Franci
the lst Of France, a prince OF enterprise dis
, matched Verazani,a FIorenine, with four ships
10 prosecute discoveries in the region OF the Cuffs
We are in the dark as to the particulars OF Yer
azani's first expedition, all we know Is, that h'
, returned to France, and the next year undertook
second voyage, in which he touched at Madeira
from whence he directed his course to the Canad'
coast On approaching it. he met with vloIen
: storm. and accident was unable to land, an'
returned again to France, apparently wiihou
;; accomplishing anything. After this, IT is chron
icled. he embarked on a third expedition. bu
/, was no more heard Of, and it is thought he an'
all his company pershed before ne could form
colony.
Before this, from Cane Florida, nor'hward, %
,xhoe coast of North Americs was known by the nam
riorida OH the return of Raeigh's Captains Arnda
and Barlow the space between "a and - degrees o A'
ude received ti,Ie az Virgins and wsS d'ideo n'
! North and South viYSinla.