The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-06-26
WHO WERE BOTH CATHOLICS.
Sebastian a Native of Bristol and
John of Genoa.
DATE OF DISCOVERY is 1897.
The Notable Anniversary Was on
June "a, This Year.

Among the many notable anniversaries
OF the present year, few, if any are de-
serving more attention or are apt to
secure wider observance than the one
which commentaries the discovers. of
North America by the Cabots, John and
Sebastian, father and son, who are gen.
orally believed to have reached this part
of the world, after voyage across the
Atlantic, on June "a. 1897. There are
not a few uncertainties connected with
these intrepid navlgators themselves, the
date of their voyage, and the first North
American land: seen by them; but all
these uncertainties in no way detract
from the truth of the statement that as
1t was Catholic, Christopher Columbus,
who first crossed the unknown seas and
discovered the West Indies, so also the
Catholics, John and Sebastian Cabot,
belongs the honor of having been the first
to behold the coast Of North America.
This, OF course, leaves out of considera-
tion the statement, believed by not few
persons, that st. Brendan, the Irish
monk, in the eight century, penetrated
as far westward as the Ohio; and the al
legation, also, that Eric, the Norseman,
discovered the Vinland a few centuries
subsequently. But look at the matter in
what light we may. and accord the credit
OF discovery to whomsoever we will, the
fact remains that it was Catholic courage
and enterprise which first discovered this
western world and that portion of It
which we call North America 1t may be
mentioned here that, in addition to st.
Brendan and Eric, John of Kolno, Pole,
is said by some writer's to have reached
the Labrador coast as early as 1477, or
twenty years before the Cabots crossed
the ocean: and that Cousin, French
man, is asserted by others to have been
driven to some part Of our coast 1888,
or four years before Columbus reached
San Salvador, says writer in the Bos-
ton Republic.
John Cabot, the father, of the illustri-
GUS twain whose names are now being
so widely spoken of, is believed to have
been born at Genoa, but the date of his
birth, as we'll as the time of his death, is
uncertain. He lived for many years at
Venice before going to London to follow
the trade of merchandise. When he
went to England is not known, but he
evidently did not tarry overlong in Lon
don, finding his way thence to Bristol;
and after 1893 no authentic mention Of
him can be found. He appears to have
been a skilful navigator, we'll versed for
his day in the science that bore upon
his calling; and it is believed that he had
travelled extensively in the East before
he undertook his transatlantic voyage.
Uncertainty, also, fingers about the date
and place of his son Sebastians birth,
though it is thought he was about 20
years of age when he accompanied his
father across the Atlantic, which would
put his birth about 1477. He is repres-
ented in one account as saying that when
his father left Venice for England he took
him with him. while he was very young,
but still old enough to have some knowl-
edge of the humanities and the habitable
world. On the other hand, there ia the
testimony Of one of his friends that Seb-
astian told him that he was born at Bris-
tol and that at the age OF his father
took him to Venice. from which place
both father and son subsequently re-
turned to England. These two state
ments are not really contradictory, and
# is easy to see from them how the idea
arose that Sebastian Cabot was born at
Venice. The probabilities all are that
he was born at Bristol about the year
1477.
The year in which the Cabots made
their famous voyage is also matter Of
dispute, though the uncertainty on this
point is limited to the question whether
It was in 1897 or the preceding year that
the trip was made. The manuscript of
Hakluyt asserts that "a great part of the
continent, as well as of the islands, was
first discovered for the king of Eng
land by Sebastian Cabot, an English
man, born in Bristow. son of John Cabot
in 1896" Further on the same document
declares that cabot discovered this
large tract of firme land two years before
Columbus ever saw any part of the con-
tinent;" and as Columbu discovered no
mainland until 1893, it follows that, ac-
cording to this chronicler, Cabot made
his voyage and sighted the North Amer
ican coast in 1895. 1t is generally
thought, however that Hakluyt is in err
or regarding this date, and no reliable
evidence has ever been brought forward