A Memoir of Sebastian Cabot; with a review of the history of maritime discovery [By Richard Biddle.] Illustrated by documents from the Rolls, now first published

Book I. Chap

I. The highest Northern Latitude reached by Cabot — Authorities collected by Hakluyt — Attempt to explain their supposed discrepance . . 7 CHAP. n. The subject continued — Gomara ...... 20 < CHAP. in. Cabot penetrated into Hudson's Bay ..... 26 CHAP. IV. First Work of Hakluyt — Maps and Discourses left by Sebastian Cabot at his death ready for Publication . ..... 37 CHAP. V. Comparative Agency of John and Sebastian Cabot . . .41 CHAP. VI. First point seen by Cabot — Not Newfoundland . . . .51 chap. vn. Cabot did not confer the name Prima Vista . . . .57 CHAP. vin. Richard Eden's " Decades of the New World" — Cabot's own statement as to the Place of his Birth ....... 61 CHAP. IX. Patents of 5th March, 1496, and 3rd February, 1498— The latter now first published from the Rolls — Total misconception heretofore as to its Terms 70 CHAP. X. Name of the English Ship which first reached the Continent of America — How far Cabot proceeded to the Southward along the Coast — Subsequent Voyage of 1498 . .78 CONTENTS CHAP. XI.

Voyage to Maracaibo, in 1499 ...... 90 chap. xn. Correspondence between Ferdinand of Spain and Lord Willoughby de Broke — Cabot enters the service of Spain 13th September, 1512 — Revision of Maps and Charts in 1515 — Appointed a Member of the Council of the Indies — Projected Expedition to the North under his Command to Sail in March, 1516 — Death of Ferdinand in January, 1516 — Intrigues — Cabot returns to England ...... 96 CHAP. XIII. Cabot's Voyage of 1517 from England in search of the North-West Passage 102 CHAP. XIV. Hakluyt's error with regard to the Voyage of 1517 . . . 108 CHAP. XV. Voyage of 1517, the one referred to by Cabot in his Letter to Ramusio . 115 CHAP. XVI. Cabot appointed, in 1518, Pilot-Major of Spain — Summoned to attend the Congress at Badajos in 1524 — Projected Expedition under his Command to the Moluccas ........ 118 CHAP. XVII.

Jealousy of the contemplated Expedition on the part of Portugal — Mission of Diego Garcia, a Portuguese ...... 123 chap. xvin. Interference with the arrangements for the Voyage — Mendez appointed second in Command contrary to the wishes of Cabot — De Hojas — The Sealed Orders — Prejudices of the Spanish Historians — Expedition sails 129 CHAP. XIX. Complaints in the Squadron — Pretended Causes of Dissatisfaction — Mutiny — Quelled by the Energy of Cabot — Happy Results — His conduct justified to the Emperor — Ridiculous charges suggested by Diego Garcia . 134 CHAP. XX. Cabot enters the La Plata — Necessity for caution — His Predecessor as Pilot- Major killed in attempting to explore that River — Carries the Island of St. Gabriel — His progress to St Salvador where a Fort is erected — Its position — Loss in taking possession ..... 143 CHAP. XXI.

Cabot proceeds up the Parana — Erects another Fort, called Santus Spiritus, and afterwards Fort Cabot — Its Position — Continues to ascend — Curiosity of the Natives as to the Expedition — Passes the Mouth of the Parana — Enters the Paraguay — Sanguinary Battle thirty-four leagues up that River — Three Hundred of the Natives killed, with a loss to Cabot of Twenty-five of his Party — Maintains his Position — Garcia enters the River — In- CONTENTS. V terview with Cabot — Mistakes of Charlevoix, &c. — Cabot returns to the Fort Santus Spiritus ....... 150 chap, xxn Report to Charles V. — Its Contents — Prospect which it held out — Peru contemplated in Cabot's original Plan of 1524 — Specimens found by him of the precious metals obtained thence by the Guaranis — Emperor resolves on a great Expedition — His pecuniary embarrassments — Pizarro offers to make the Conquest of Peru at his own Expense — Reflections — the Name Rio de La Plata not conferred by Cabot — Misrepresentation on this and other points ......... 156 CHAP. XXIII.

Cabot's residence in the La Plata — Subjection of remote tribes — Claims of Spain rested on this Expedition — Treaty with the Guaranis — Detailed Report to the Emperor as to the productions, &c. of the country — Misconduct of the followers of Garcia — Leads to a general attack from the Natives — Return to Spain ........ 163 CHAP. XXIV. Employment of Cabot after his return — Resumes his functions as Pilot-Major — Makes several voyages — Fame for bravery and skill — Visit of a learned Italian — Cabot's allusion to Columbus ..... 167 CHAP. XXV. Perversion of facts and dates by Harris and Pinkerton — Cabot's return to England — Probable inducements — Erroneous reason assigned by Mr Barrow — Charles V. makes a demand on the King of England for his return — Refused — Pension to Cabot — Duties confided to him — More extensive than those belonging to the office of Pilot-Major ..*... 171 CHAP. XXVI.

Public explanation by Cabot to Edward VI. of the phenomena of the Variation of the Needle — Statement of Livio Sanuto — Point of No Variation fixed by Cabot — Adopted afterwards by Mercator for his Great Meridian — Reference to Cabot's Map-— Early testimonials— Allusion to the English discoveries in the edition of Ptolemy published at Rome in 1508— Fournier — Attention to note the Variation by the seamen of Cabot's school— His theory, isa narrow one, would have been thus exposed .... 175 CHAP. XXVII. Mistake of Purchas, Pinkerton, Dr Henry in his History of Great Britain, Campbell in the Lives of the Admirals, and other writers, as to the Knighting of John or Sebastian Cabot . .... .179 CHAP. XXVIII. Stagnation of trade In England— Cabot consulted by the Merchants-Urges the enterprise which resulted in the trade to Russia— Preliminary difficulties —Struggle with the Stilyai-d— That Monopoly broken down— Earnestness of Edward VI. on the subject— His munificent donation to Cabot after the result was declared ■ VI CONTENTS.

CHAP. XXIX. Preparations for the Expedition— Precautions as to Timber— Sheathing of the vessels now first resorted to in England — Examination of two Tartars Chief command given to Sir Hugh Willoughby— Richard Chancellor- Stephen Burrough— William Burrough— Arthur Pet— This Expedition confounded with another by Strype and Campbell . CHAP. XXX. Instructions prepared by Cabot for Sir Hugh Willoughby * • • *■"' CHAP. XXXI. The Expedition drops down to Greenwich — Salutes — Animating scene — Proceeds to sea — Vessels separated — Fate of Sir Hugh Willoughby — Chancellor reaches Wardhouse — Earnestly dissuaded from proceeding further — His gallant resolution — Confidence of the Crew in him — Reaches Archangel — Excellent effect of observing Cabot's Instructions as to deportment towards the Natives — Success of Chancellor .... 193 CHAP. XXXII.

Charter to the Company of Merchant Adventurers — Sebastian Cabot named Governor for Life — Grant of Privileges by the Emperor of Russia to Sebastian Cabot and others — An Ambassador from the Emperor embarks with Richard Chancellor — Shipwreck — Chancellor perishes — Reception and entertainment of the Ambassador in London .... 197 CHAP. XXXUI. View of the Trade opened with Russia from the Letters of the Company to the Agents — Prices of English manufactured goods — Articles obtained in return — Extensive establishment of Englishmen at Moscow when that city was destroyed by the Tartars ...... 200 CHAP. XXXIV. The Charter of Incorporation — Recites preparations actually made for voyages to the North-East, and North-West — How frustrated — Whale Fishery — Newfoundland Fishery — The Ambassador of the Sophy of Persia at Moscow — His information to the Emperor of Russia about England — Followed up by a Messenger to Persia from England with a Letter proposing commercial intercourse ........ 208 CHAP. XXXV.

The Search-thrift despatched to the North in 1556, under Stephen Burrough- Cabot's entertainment at Gravesend— Influence of the death of Edward VI. on his personal fortunes — Reviving hopes of the Stilyard Merchants — their insolent reference to the Queen in a memorial addressed to Philip — The latter reaches London 20th May, 1557 — New arrangements as to Cabot's Pension 29th May, 1557 — William Worthington in possession of his papers — Account of that person — Manner in which the Maps and Discourses have probably disappeared— Cabot's Illness — Affecting Account of his Last Moments, by the Friend who attended him ..... CONTENTS. VII

Book II. Chap

I. Review of the History of Maritime Discovery, so far as may be necessary to exhibit the pervading influence of Cabot — Patent of 19th March 1501, now first published from the Rolls, to three Merchants of Bristol, and three Portuguese — Natives brought to England and exhibited at Court — Erroneous reference of this incident to Cabot — Hakluyt's perversion — Second Patent 9th December, 1502 — Dr Robertson's misconceptions — Probable reasons for the abandonment of the enterprise ..... 221 CHAP. II. First visit of Columbus to Terra Firma on his third voyage — Apprised before leaving Spain of Cabot's Discovery of the Continent — Projected Expedition to the North from Spain ...... 231 CHAP. in. Expedition from Portugal — Cortereal — The work entitled Paesi novamente ritrovati, &c. — Letters of the Venetian Ambassador at Lisbon eleven days after the return of Courtereal — Reference to the previous voyage of Cabot — Trinkets found amongst the Natives — French translation of the Paesi, &c. in 1516 . . . .**'*. . . -233 CHAP. IV.

The region visited by Cortereal — Statements of the three Portuguese Historirians, Damiano Goes, Osorius, and Galvano — Of Gomara, Herrera, andFumiSe — Edition of Ptolemy, published at Basle, 1540 — The name Labrador, i. e. Labourer .... .... 241 CHAP. V. Circumstances which have led to errors as to the voyage of Cortereal— The Portuguese Maps — Isle of Demons — The fraud of Madrignanon in the Itine. rarium Portugallensium — Mr Barrow's Chronological History of Voyages, &c— Dr Lardner's Cyclopædia— The Edinburgh Cabinet Library . 245 CHAP. VI. Diffusive mischief of the Itinerarium Portugallensium— Grynæus— Meusel— Fleurieu — Humboldt, &c. ....... 352 CHAP. VII. Project of Cortes in 1524. . • • • • • .258 CHAP. VIII. Voyage of Stephen Gomez in the service of Spain . . . .261 CHAP. IX. Expedition from England in 1527— Erroneous statement that one of the vessels was named Dominus Vobiscum— Their names, The Samson and The Mary of Guilford— Letters from the Expedition dated at Newfoundland, addressed to Henry VIU. and Cardinal Wolsey— The Italian Navigator, Juan Verrazani, accompanies the Expedition and is killed by the Natives— Loss CONTENTS.

VIII of the Samson— The Mary of Guilford visits Brazil, Porto Rico, 8cc— Arrives in England October 1527— Robert Thome of Bristol— His letter could not have led to this Expedition .„.••• *°° CHAP. X. Voyage from England in 1536 ....•■ %7S CHAP. XI. Expedition of Cortereal in 1574, and retrospect to a pretended voyage by a person of the same name in 1464 ... ... •*<-■-■ CHAP. xn. Frobisher ....••• . . 285 CHAP. xm. Hudson 295

Appendix

. (A.) Fabyan's Chronicle — Allusion to Cabot . . . . 299 (B.) English Expedition said to have been found by Hojeda at Caquibacoa . 301 (C) Was Cabot appointed Grand Pilot ? . . . . . . 305 (D.) Letters Patent now first published, dated 19th March 1501, from Henry "VII. to Richard Warde, Thomas Ashehurst, John Thomas, of Bristol, and John Fernandus, Francis Fernandus, and John Gunsolus, Portuguese . . 306 (E.) Possible origin of the misconception as to the name Dominus vobiseum erroneously associated with the voyage of 1527 from England — Forster's mistake as to Norumbega — Error as to the period at which Newfoundland was first frequented for Fishing ....... 315 (F) Portrait of Sebastian Cabot by Holbein ..... 317 (G.) Error in attributing to Cabot the work entitled " Navigatione nelle parte Settentrionale," published at Venice in 1583 . . . -320 r\ -XTi-\Atn ' "