their first voyages have been preserved. It is said, however, that the Cabots did not wholly neglect the duty of preserving a record of their. adventures for the instruction of posterity, as Sebastian left behind him at his death a considerable number of charts, journals and other documents, which were intended for publication. But in some way or other this intention failed of being carried into effect. None of these records are now known to exist.

GENERAL INTEREST AWAKENED IN COLUMBUS' DISCOVERIES.

Of course, as soon as Columbus returned from his first voyage and reported his having crossed the ocean and discovered land so far on the way toward India, the news spread rapidly through all the seaports in Western Europe, and all seafaring men occupied themselves with discussing the innumerable questions which at once arose. The various governments, too, of Western Europe were greatly interested in these discoveries, and each of them began to form designs of sending out expeditions to find new lands, and to take possession of them in their own name.

Among the seafaring men whose attention was strongly attracted to this subject was John Cabot, Sebastian's father. He was, as has already been

said, an Italian, but he was at this time residing with his family in Bristol, in England, which was then, as now, a very important seaport. He came to Bristol from Venice, where he had previously lived for fifteen years. This has been shown by certain registers remaining among the public archives at Bristol, which historians had the curiosity to examine long after Cabot's day, when the world began to feel an interest in being informed in respect to his origin.

John Cabot received the news of Columbus' discoveries at Bristol, and he immediately began to study his charts and his globe, and to speculate on the best track to be followed for reaching India. He became convinced that the route which Columbus had pursued—that is, in a direction due west from Europe-was not the best course. It might be supposed by one who has not examined the subject attentively, that if two places lie on nearly the same parallel of latitude, as is the case, for example, substantially, with the eastern coast of Central Asia and Spain, the nearest way to reach one from the other would be to sail exactly east or west. But this is not the fact, as may be demonstrated very easily by means of a globe. The shortest distance from New York to Havre, for instance, as will appear by stretching a thread

upon the globe from one of these points to the other, will pass considerably to the northward of either of them. In the same manner the most direct course from the center of Spain to the midIdle of the Pacific Ocean in the same latitudewhich was about the region where, in those days, the eastern shores of India were expected to be found-lies, not through the region of the West India islands, where Columbus had been seeking it, but through the very heart of Greenland!

By an inspection of the map this does not appear to be so, but by stretching a thread from one point to the other on the globe it will be made very clear.

Persons making a voyage across the Atlantic to Liverpool, when they find, as they sometimes do, from the daily report of the latitude and longitude made by the captain, that they are actually further to the north than the northern extremity of Ireland, are very much surprised; and having no globe at hand to correct the erroneous impressions obtained from maps, can hardly be persuaded that the ship has not gone out of her way. The fact is that the most direct line from New York to Liverpool passes through a part of Newfoundland, and thence continues, crossing the parallels of latitude, till it reaches a point far to the northward of the

port of destination, after which it declines to the southward again as it approaches the port.

John Cabot, Sebastian's father, in reflecting upon these and similar facts, convinced himself that the true way of endeavoring to find a passage to India was to sail much further to the northward than Columbus had done, and he began at once to endeavor to obtain from the English government the means of making an expedition. He succeeded in this, it seems, though nothing is known of the steps that he took, or of the difficulties, if any, which he encountered. He received from Henry the Seventh, who was then king, a formal commission to proceed on the voyage, and to take possession of all the lands that he should discover, in the king's name.

THE LETTERS PATENT.

The letters patent* received by Cabot, the father, were written, as such documents usually were in those days, in Latin. It will be interesting and useful to the reader to see one specimen of the sort of commissions which these ancient navigators received from their respective governments;

* The word patent means open. Letters patent are letters open to all the world, that all who see them may govern themselves accordingly.

and we accordingly give this one in full, as found translated into the English of that day, in the old black letter folios in which such annals were recorded in those times :

The Letters Patents of King Henry the Seventh granted vnto Iohn Cabot and his three sonnes, Lewis, Sebaftian and Sancius, for the discouerie of new and vnknowen lands.

Henry, by the grace of God, king of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, to all to whom these presents fhall come, Greeting:

Be it knowen that we haue giuen and granted, and by these presents do giue and grant, for vs and our heires, to our well beloued Iohn Cabot, citizen of Venice, to Lewis, Sebastian and Santius, sonnes of the sayd Iohn, and to the heires of them and euery of them, and their deputies, full and free authority, leaue and power, to saile to all parts, countreys and seas of the East, of the Weft, and of the North, under our banners and ensignes, with fiue fhips of what quantity or burden soever they may be, and as many mariners or men as they will haue with them in the sayd fhips, upon their owne proper costs and charges, to seeke out, discouer and finde, whatsoeuer isles, countreys, regions or prouinces, of the heathens and infidels, whatsoeuer they be, and in what part of the world soeuer they be, which before this time haue been vnknowen to all Chriftians; and we haue granted to them, and also to euery one of them, the heires of them, and euery of them, and their deputies, and haue giuen them licence to set up our banners and ensignes in euery