The Portland daily press., 1897-06-24

the phantom of q troubled dream. Again,
as they passed some wooded slope, where
the SHOWS were dissolving in the meager
sunlight, a stag, larger than they mad
ever beheld, would start up, and shaking
his antlered head, dash into the thicket to
be seen no more; or as they passed some
ouiet cove, they would witness a stranger
sight for here the bears, undiSturbed by
man. would watch Tor the fish as they
swarmed along the shore, cod and salmon
and soles 'sabout a yard in length" and
Selling the lissome things with their sharp
claws would draw them aaland to satisfy
their hunger.
n Cabot had brought men with him to
leave at some suitable spot. They were
largely criminals, probably 1nen who had
been engaged in the late rebellion, and
these he landed, leaving them to establish
themselves in the country as best they
could, while he passed on towards the
north, in search of an open passage to the
west. 1t was not long before the 1nhabi-
tants of this wild land were seen, uncouth
and british men, clad in the furs OF
beasts. SUPP and dread were mutual.
By the English, these wild men, weap-
oned with bow and arrow, sling, spear
and club, and RECALLING themselves on raw
flesh, were regarded as leaguers or the
prince of darkness; Ewhile they, peerlng
furtively from some coigne OF vantage at
the white winged monsters, which had
so suddenly invaded their hitherto undls-
turbed solitudes, looked upon the white
men whom they bore, as beings of high
er sphere. So passed Cabot onward
towards the north, amid glittering Ice
bergs, at night beholding with supersti-
tious dread the heavens flaming from
horizon to zenith with rudy light, as in
apocalyptic vision, and finding the land
ever running to the north to his great
displeasure. Entering the open waters of
Hudson's Straits, the intrepid navigator
would have doubtless kept on, but his
men, made Of less heroic stuff, mutinied.
and refused to proceed farther, SO he
was compelled to turn back and follow
the coast southwark.
But how Jared it with the men whom
be had landed? Their fate is obscure. 1t
is said that nearly all persisted from cold,
which might imply that some did not,
and that these were either taken on board
again by Cabot on his return, or subse-
quently escaped. Be this as it may, Cabot
eoasted southwark, probably keeping in
sight the pleasant, shores which stretch
from Maine to Florida, when finding his
provisions becoming scanty, and no open
ing to the west to reward his long search,
he set his course for England, bearing
with him three natives of the country,
whom he had secured, probably with the
intention of using them in the future for
interpreters. These men, clad in the
skins of wild beasts, feeding on raw flesh,
and sin their demeanor like to BRUTE
beastes," Cabot presented to the king,
and, although their appearance was then
so unpromising, two years later Robert
Fabian saw two of; them in Westminster
palace, in English costume, and mistook
them for Euglishmen, SO greatly had
their appearance changed.
The news of Cabot's success, to which
q novel interest was added by the appear
10 I.
brought from the new land was eagerly
| listened to, and gave a fresh impulse to
the spirit of adventure Henry. however,
distracted by the cares CT government, de-
clined the proffered services OF the success
| full navigator for voyage the next year,
and although it has been supposed that
| Cabot undertook discovery on his own
account, we have no certain knowledge of
| this; indeed, we strangely lose sight of
| the "Great Admiral" and his son Sebas-
| tan, whose fame was to eclipse that of his
\ father, comes prominently into view.
Whether he merited this fame is a ques-
ton Although he Lived three score years
after the discovery of America by his
father, and occupied offices of great dis
tinction under the Spanish crown, he Ger.
tainly accomplished nothing to warrant
the reputation which he enjoyed; and we
must largely attribute this fame to the
achievements of his father, which he I'M
filially appropriated to himself.
1t is unfortunate that we do not possess
a detailed account of the Cabot voyages
| That very valuable material relating to
them existed when Hakluyt published
his Divers Voyages in 1852, we know, fol
he gives us to understand that he had
| "overseene all of Sebastian Cabot's OWL
mappes and discourses drawne and writ
ten by himselfe, which are in the custodie
of Master William Worthington. This
| .c t1,a loo Iyrnxu of ithaca io11S
documents, and as Worthington was
placed in the office of Sebastian Cabot by
Philip of Spain, shortly after the latter
took up his abode in England as the con.
sort of Queen Mary, it has been conjec
tured that they found their way into
Spanish hands like many other English
documents relating to western discovery
If so, Spain profited little by them, fol
English gall was better than Spanish
guile, and won of right, and though the
Interesting details of John Cabot's great
discovery are lost to the world, his fame
is safe for he gave to England great
continent which we as his successors
enjoy; and while that continent exists
the name of John Cabot will be known al
its discoverer.
death makes no conquest of this con
| Querer,
For now he lives in fame though not ir
life.
MR.. BLACKS PAPER
Professor J. W. Black presented the
topic "The Old World at the beginning o.
the period Of western discovery" Pro
fessor Black reviewed the leading events
of the early period Of discovery, pointing
out in particular the influence of Genoa
and her sons in the making of those dis
coveries which lead to the acquisition by
England and Spain of territory in The
New World. He spoke of the significance
of the year 1902. To Spain it meant thu
beginning of power over two worlds ant
also Of unity at home, In the conquest Of
the Moors, then living in luxury hither
to unparalleled in Europe. 1t was at the
close of the ten years war required for tht
subjugation Of the Moors that the suppor
of Ferdinand and Isabella was obtained
by Columbus in his project of discovery