The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-04
HAIL CAB0TIA, HAPPY LAND!
Lake George Research Identifies Discovery
Day with Independence nay.

Day with independence Nay.
To THE EDITOR OF THE sUN-sir: The
Fourth of July, which we celebrate as Indo-
pendence Day. ought TO be no less celebrated
as Discovery Day for America. II Ia tho an
niversary Of the discovery which resulted in
an English North America.
The renowned John Cabot native Of
Venice, had become an Englishman by resi-
dence In the last half Of the fifteenth century.
at Bristol, on the Avon, near the head Of Bris-
tol Channel--the great southwestern sea gate
to England. II was in 1906 on the Sth Of
March, that Henry VII. Of England. In the
eleventh year Of his reign granted to John
Cabot and his sons patent empowering them
to seek out subdue and occupy Mt their own
charges any regions which before had been
unknown to all Christians" And under this
patent the cabots sailed, on the I'd Of May
Of the next year. i497. TO attempt discovery
in the far west Of the North Atlantic.
A record not long since brought to light at
Bristol made this reference to the voyage Of
the Cabots across the North Atlantic:
This year. l497. on st. John the Baptist's Day
tJunc a. old style: now July A. the land OF America
was found by the merchants Of Brstowe bristol:
Brgstow or Brdge-p place, Brlstowl IN ship OF
Brstowe called the Matthew the which said ship de-
parted from the port OF Bristowe the I'd OF May
Aroyal prvy purse record OF Aug. 10, 1907
ITO him that found tho New Isle, Gi0"-ap-
pears to show, when taken In connection with
other records, that the head of the expedition,
John Cabot, was awarded Ei0 on his return
from discovering some island like Newfound-
land. The terms Of the second patent show
that the mainland az well as the island had
been discovered. This second patent. dated
Feb. 2, 140s authorized John Cabot to take
six English ships. "and them convey and lede
to the Land and isles OF late found by the said
John in cure name and by cure command
ment."
Exactly what the discovery thus referred
to was we may see from this early notice:
In the year OF our Lord i4o7. John Cabot. Vene-
tian and his son Sebastian discovered that country
which no before his time had ventured to ap-
proach, on the oath OF June, about o'clock In the
morning. He called the land Terra Prtnum Visa.
because. as conjecture. this was the place that FIRST
met his eye In looking from the sea. On the con-
trary. the island which lies opposite the land he
called the island of 81. Johnas | suppose. because
II discovered on the festival of ST. John the
Baptist.
1t is customary to assume that the voyages
OF the Cabots were result Of the voyage OF
Columbus; that he broke the Ice and showed
the way; that he first in time and greatest
in genius and courage. set forth into the I'm
mense unknown seas. and gave the impulse
by which all others sailed: and that to him,
because Of a supremely great initiative, be-
longs the comprehensive honor Of all the dis
coveries by which a new world was added to
the old SO rampant everywhere has been
this view that even our best historical accounts
are married by it, and not even our best au-
thorities get the facts in right light.
II is grotesauely false representation. on
.
Snnin has nroceeded to the neglect Of other
and far higher claims. 1t is not so much the
Morse claims going ba ok to about 900 A, d.
whom the whole sea-wav nv Iceland and
Greenland IN whatever law hevond VIVA In =
,oiIior 10 MANY odventurous taejs II ia for
'' w =, nj. -,
'i'''e ,'o N,iii", No. "a W y,
opni.n' v, " ave- ''ine ~ Nv unI VI "'n
Ehslish fortusai' p'eseh's' "heh aoseh.uio
Tree ana fearless stooc NOT upon royal suDSl-
dies ana patents OF common ana hau no
desire to plead the darkness and dread dis
asters Of the seas in apology FOR blasted ex-
pectatons. There had been nve hundred
years OF dauntless breasting OF all seas and
plunging into unknown deeps, by Saxon. or
Celtic, OF Morse adventures before Column
bus mustered courage to run before layoring
wind across the Atlantic.
The fact is that Ignorance and imagination
have far too much shaped the popular repre-
sentation OF Columbus. The place OF the
Genoese sailor in the axe OF discovery
has been grossly exaggerated. he Is in real
ity the fourth. ana the least worthy OF the Tour
heroes OF discovery by whose lives new world
was added to the Old World before MN ana
above him were Prince Henry OF Portugal.
known for immortal honor as Prince Henry
the Navigator; Cabot, and Nespucius.
In one Of our best historical handoooks
the index has this correct word: Columbus
discovered the West Understand the text
says OF the general lacts:
Portugal AT the end of the fourteenth century
Tor about 400 A d. 1t was in fact from about l4is
or 1920 seventy years before Coinmousl had led the
way In maritime adventure. ana Portuguese nav
gators discovered way 70 i'a,n roulu 'ne oape OF
GOOD HOPE ta,'c' a'enap'' 0ov...s .ne Muo,o
per'oa t 40, Sp" s"I d,soom.rod %. wv.
ana III i''- 0''0"''' 'N''
III por+,,,,,ss noviy,tors tr,ined nd sent
,o..,,. ~, " prinos Henry succeeded through
~ ,t w. hais cent,,rv n, daring endeavor
1,.a, 100, IN sailing down the entire vest
nsoS-t 80 ,roa and oround tho stormy 20 ne
"a. ,hnrr avtran,ity civ wanna heyora