The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation, vol. 12 | Page 9

out before the land, he called the Island of S. Iohn vpon this
occasion, as I thinke, because it was discouered vpon the day of Iohn
the Baptist. The inhabitants of this Island vse to weare beasts skinnes,
and haue them in as great estimation as we haue our finest garments. In
their warres they vse bowes, arrowes, pikes, darts, woodden clubs, and
slings. The soile is barren in some places, and yeeldeth litle fruit, but it
is full of white beares, and stagges farre greater then ours. It yeeldeth
plenty of fish, and those very great, as seales, and those which
commonly we call salmons: there are soles also aboue a yard in length:
but especially there is great abundance of that kinde of fish which the
Sauages call baccalaos. In the same Island also there breed hauks, but
they are so blacke that they are very like to rauens, as also their
partridges, and egles, which are in like sort blacke.
* * * * *
A discourse of Sebastian Cabot touching his discouery of part of the
West India out of England in the time of king Henry the seuenth, vsed
to Galeacius Butrigarius the Popes Legate in Spaine, and reported by
the sayd Legate in this sort.
[Sidenote: This discourse is taken out of the second volume of the
voyages of Baptista Ramusius.[14]] Doe you not vnderstand sayd he
(speaking to certaine Gentlemen of Venice) how to passe to India
toward the Northwest, as did of late a citizen of Venice, so valiant a
man, and so well practised in all things pertaining to nauigations, and
the science of Cosmographie, that at this present he hath not his like in
Spaine, insomuch that for his virtues he is preferred aboue all other
pilots that saile to the West Indies, who may not passe thither without
his licence, and is therefore called Piloto mayor, that is, the grand Pilot.
[Sidenote: Sebastian Cabota Pilot mayor of Spaine.] And when we sayd
that we knew him not, he proceeded, saying, that being certaine yeres
in the city of Siuil, and desirous to haue some knowledge of the
nauigations of the Spanyards, it was tolde him that there was in the city
a valiant man, a Venetian borne named Sebastian Cabot, who had the
charge of those things, being an expert man in that science, and one that
coulde make Cardes for the Sea, with his owne hand, and by this report,
seeking his acquaintance, hee found him a very gentle person, who
intertained him friendly, and shewed him many things, and among
other a large Mappe of the world, with certaine particular Nauigations,

as well of the Portugals, as of the Spaniards, and that he spake further
vnto him to this effect.
When my father departed from Venice many yeeres since to dwell in
England, to follow the trade of marchandises, hee tooke mee with him
to the citie of London, while I was very yong, yet hauing neuerthelesse
some knowledge of letters of humanitie, and of the Sphere. And when
my father died in that time when newes were brought that Don
Christopher Colonus Genuese had discouered the coasts of India,
whereof was great talke in all the Court of king Henry the 7, who then
raigned, insomuch that all men with great admiration affirmed it to be a
thing more diuine then humane, to saile by the West into the East
where spices growe, by a way that was neuer knowen before, by this
fame and report there increased in my heart a great flame of desire to
attempt some notable thing. And vnderstanding by reason of the Sphere,
that if I should saile by way of the Northwest, I should by a shorter
tract come into India, I thereupon caused the King to be aduertised of
my deuise, who immediatly commanded two Caruels to bee furnished
with all things appertayning to the voyage, which was as farre as I
remember in the yeere 1496. in the beginning of Sommer. I began
therefore to saile toward the Northwest, not thinking to finde any other
land then that of Cathay, and from thence to turne toward India, but
after certaine dayes I found that the land ranne towards the North,
which was to mee a great displeasure. Neuerthelesse, sayling along by
the coast to see if I could finde any gulfe that turned, I found the lande
still continent to the 56. degree vnder our Pole. And seeing that there
the coast turned toward the East, despairing to finde the passage, I
turned backe againe, and sailed downe by the coast of that land toward
the Equinoctiall (euer with intent to finde the saide passage to India)
and came to that part of this firme lande which is nowe