The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-13

| tain not tho slightest allusion to any previous
discovery. and. in their silence on this point.
he finds an argument against the date OF
1894. 1t is maintained. on the other
hand. by Prof Tarducci that the letters
patent presuppose some discovery already
made by tho Nenetians. and, therefore,
support tho authenticity OF the Paris and Ok
| ford copies. Mr. Harrisse has to assume that
the date 494 in the Spanish inscription on the
| chart OF Sebastian Cabot Is the outcome OF an
| engraver's error. an error all tho easier to
mako because the numeras are Roman and
| the two first Is Joined at tho bottom would
formaN The answer is that The Spanish in
the figures are bic. vet still the date 1904
To this Mr.. ,Harrisse reJoins that IN his
opinion. the Latin translation was made at
later time in the Netherlands or Germany. SO
that Cabot could not correct the mistake. At
rests on mere suspicion. and the question
whether the issuance OF letters patent in l49i
Voyage Of discovery I4o4 on the nap
OF Sebastian Cab9t must be argued on general
way We know from the spanish Am bas sador
Ayal thatJohn Cabot began his eSpeditionsin
I lag and continued them egularly every year.
Henry vi iGr ths grant which he , asked Tor
no knowledge but with one, or the other sup
position we must necessarily get at the truth;
It, what moved. the English Government to
give in 1895 what before it had refusedl 1t
able reason is that Cabot's expeditions had
begun to give good ground for the hone Of sue
other hand, Cabot had not asked for grant
before. why did he ask for one in 1902, Hfths
expeditions still existed there was no req.
son for seeking new aid to continue his course.
and foieiSne new a soq he IS doser PSei
Gy conte%porary, arouse all at once in the
and tried friends had lost under his constant |
failures one can understand that Il he had
ments and calculations. have convinced it OF
his ability to seek for and discover now lands
it Of Cabot's ability as a discoverer. " wh hem
according .. to the hypothosis Of Mr.. iarrisse a
sS1edioss Sesnnins Il +@i cabo{ had r nss
case Of discovery to plant the royal banner on ~,
the lands found. and ecare them the property
e e' it s Ens s why Er shG af he
port of his demand. he could only adduce the
the face of the omplaints and protests Of the
not think 1t worth while to adduco the proofs
81 the discovery in the letters patent. but It
Client ground for belief in the discovery TO
Justify IT. particularly as It risked no money
III tne enterprise. In granting Cabot authority
,ound Should the report Of a previous dis
, ,Sr prove true. England was sure to gain:
,othinG. On the. whole, therefore, Proi. far FAR
iueci is disposed to abide by, the, inscription
Io fln Cabots first discovery OF America took
Whichever date we accept for Cabots first
'oyage. we must still meet tho inquiry. What
'art Of North America should be identified
With his First seen-land Here again Prof
Parducci and Mr.. Harrisse fail to agree.
me latter was at one time inclined to
lace the First-seen-land at Cape Fourchu J
r Perce. which Is on the eastern side :
Cape Breton Island; the former would t
ather put 1t at Cape North. the northern point .
I the same island, because from that point it i;
7ould be possible to descry Prince Edwards
sand in the course Of the same day. The
zap OF Sebastian Cabot tells us that after
laking First-seen land. his father discovered /
1 the course Of the same day a large island to I
ne west Prince Edwards Island is the only :
ne that answers the conditions II we assume
ape Breton to be the land first seen. Appre- q
lating this difficulty. Mr. Harrisse ulti- y
lately decides to remove from Cape d
reton Island tho first point OF dis g
overy and carry Ffrst-seen-land to the coast q
Labrador. within that space which tho old u
laps indicated as land discovered by tho Eng
sh. In order to explain why Sebastian 4
sbot marked 1t as Cape Breton Island, he ad- n
ances the theory that when Sebastian saw 2
DIV sterile and worthless was tho region +
rst discovered by his father and himself Ii
hereas. by 1914. when his planisphere was a
lblished. vessels were thronging to Cane
reton Island and its colonization was in q
nded. he changed from vanity the mark of r
10 discovery from the sterile land actually :;
und and transferred it to the other more fire. IL
tented and promising tract This hypothesis p
repudiated by Prof. Tarducci. who. at the e
me time. testiaes due appreciation OF the h
ork accomplished by Mr. Harrisse in geog-
ply and history, and ex presses great respect z
r his opinion. Ii
No one denies that John Cabot made n suc h
ssful voyage Of discovery to the New World h.
lfti. the only question being whether this II
hen we come to the next voyage. for which 10 4
tiers patent were issued on Feb. 3. 1865 lie T.
rs the King calls John CABOT MS !H Ws I h g
we'd" mentions the discovery he had made. os
s. and orders all officers Of the Government a.
render ;t him assistance In this document he
ce is made to Cabot's sons not the least e
~ psion to the previous patent. nor is there a n.
rexocaton Of the ppveges or@ery apsb
!: This is unintelligible enough. but the d.
ystery deeDens when we learn that from uet
9 time Of the grant of the second patent, the IN
me Oh John cabot completely disappears In
% Tow surviving notices of the voyage OF an an
os exhibit his son Sebastian at its head. f Ha
ON this historians have inferred that lie n,
81 soon after the granting OF the second let ma
Is patent. or 10 somo other way was hin. In
req from taxing command of that expedi- n
N. Against this general opinion Prof, Car r.
eel would concur with another Italian stu In
tended and detailed contempOrary docn al
mt concerning this voyage which has come
wn to u.s. and which plainly attributes the
m mand OF the expedition to the same per-
w, wh9 pp rGposed and organized It. The de- Fa
Verer lmeaning. OF course John CABOT who
, seven years mad been going in searcRd
les; it goes on to say that the King wa
> detG;rmihsd to make the .expodi- su
n nee had really found land the year before mir
III; ttiLo ~ continues by relating how the OK ah
q pbo TIE ships turned back. but neverthe- VIII
urn OF tho expedition was look al Tor in say wv