The Portland daily press., 1897-06-24

friends of Cabot witnessed his departure
from the port of Bristol ON the VOYAGE
which was to render his name immortal.
The month of May passed, June drew
to a close. and the daring adventures
kept on their course, ever toward the
northwest. Thus far they had scanned
the horizon for land in vain: nothing but
a dreary waste of waters had met their
vision. We have no record, as in the case
of Columbus, of what passed on board
Cabot's ship, the Matthew, but we may
properly imagine the eager anxiety with
which Cabot scanned the West. Doubt
less there were, indeed there must have
been, those on board who shook their
heads wisely and predicted failure; who
even mutinously murmured against the
bold captain; however, on the gath of
June at daybreak. a gray line was OBJ
served ON the horizon. Was it slender
cloud Just rising from the sea, or was it
the long looked for land? Every eye was
strained to the utmost to ascertain what
it really was. AS the sun rose it began
to assume definite form, and to their
great joy it proved to be land. Surely it
was the coast of the Great Cham S domin-
ion, and the problem of reaching India
had been solved. Such was the first
opinion of Cabot. In the excitement of
the moment he named it Prima Vista,
and lowering boat, went on shore. 1t
was St. Johns day, and the good saint
was not to be forgotten. An island near
rate him, and was therefore named st.
Johns Island.
Everything which the wondering eyes
of the Adventures beheld was novel and
strange. The land upon which they
gazed had never before been pressed by the
foot of European. Mines of gold and
precious stones might be near at hand;
indeed, they might soon behold the very
sources of India's great wealth, which
had SO long dazzled Europe.
In this state of mind they prepared a
cross, and planting it in the earth with
the banners of St. George and ST. Mark
floating over it, these pioneers of Eng
land in the new world gathered about it
with bowed heads, by this solemn act
taking possession of the country in behalf
of their king and people.
Although they watched warily for the
appearance of men, none were seen, but
bye and bye they came upon fallen trees
bearing marks which attracted their at
tention. We're they made by human
agency So they opined, but soon all
doubt of the near presence OF men was
removed, for here were snares set for the
capture of beasts, and there, needle OF
bone, lost by some savage, who had passed
that way. 1t would not do to linger here
and expose his company to the danger of
attack from foe, whose strength was
unknown, and fastening to the shelter of
his ship. Cabot set sail
His course from this time becomes some
what uncertain, but it would seem that
he kept q northerly course along the for
bidding shores of Labrador, till he
reached the vicinity OF Cape Chudleigh.
Everywhere were wonders to attract
the attention and rouse the superstitious
fears of his men. They would not go far
ther into the dark and dangerous north,
and they murmured against the intrepid
navigator, who knew no fear. With a
mutinous crew, nothing could be done
but to change his course towards the
south, and this he did, skirting the coast
of Newfoundland, which he took to be an
archipelago, till he reached Cape Race,
from whence, with a meager larder, he
turned the PROV of the Matthew towards
England, which was reached in August.
The news of John Cabot S discovery was
at once bruited over Europe, and excited
others to emulate his example. In Eng
land he was the hero of the hour, and
whenever he appeared in the streets of
Bristol. richly apparelled after the fash
ion of wealthy Venetians, crowds gath
cred about him, eager to see, and il
chance offered, to question the great mari
ner, who had discovered the new land for
| England.
| To the cruel bigot, who wrought his
dismal schemes in the gloom of the es-
curial, the news which he received from
his envoy, Pedro de Ayala, was distaste
| full, and from that moment no opportun
| ity was lost to obliterate all evidence OF
| the great discovery, or to thWart English
efforts in that direction.
Although the motley populace applaud
ed, and the learned listened to him with
grave approval, the importance of Cabot.
n n 1nr, hon, &c or
often the case with ssevents which Provi
dence has in especial charge; yet this dis
covery was to be the corner stone of al
England's future pretensions to the
| American continent.
When Cabot and his companions re,
turned home, although the Scots no lon
ger threatened the border, and the battle
| of Blackheath had been fought, practi
cally settling the fate of Warbeck, the dir
of arms still disturbed the land. The
news, however, which he brought, was o.
SO much importance, that the King lis
| tened with interest to his stories of far of
seas, so crowded with fish as to render the
spoil of nearer waters proftless, and o.
| lands which might embosom treasures Of
infinite value. The "Great Admiral al
he was now designated, had depicted the
new land on map, and had even con
structed q globe showing Its position
thereon. He would skirt the coast from
Prima Vista towards the tropics, and 10
Cipango, the island of spices and jewels
which would create in London a mar
grander than that of far famed Alexan
dria. 1t was an alluring prospect, ant
the thrifty King not only bestowed upor
him a small gift, but granted him an an
nual pension to be paid from the revenues
of the port of Bristol; besides, he licensed
him to charter six ships and to enlist al
many men as he might need to accom-
pany him on a new expedition.
In the spring of 1893, John Cabot with
probably his son Sebastian, accompanied
by three hundred men, sailed from tn.
port of Bristol with a fleet of fine vessels
The sailing of SO important fleet on al
expedition which had excited such wide
spread attention, was an event of TOT
much interest to the people of Bristol tx
have passed unnoticed, and although NJ
contemporary account of 1t has been pre-
served, we know that street, quay and ole
bridge, with its rambling houses over
hanging it, were thronged with people
eager to see the Adventures depart
From the number of men who accom-
panied Cabot, we mustJ conclude that i
was the intention to plant colony a
some place favorable to such an undertak
ing. The course of the feet was toward
the northwest, the region of ice, fog ant
tempest, but the vernal gales waited i