56 DISCOVERIES Iff 1527- 



gave the name of Cape Mendocino, in compliment 

 of the vicerov, to the land seen about the latitude 

 42°. The want of provisions, the sickness of the 

 crew, the weakness of the ship, the turbulent sea, 

 and the cold weather, were assigned as the reasons 

 for their return, without proceeding- to a higher 

 degree of latitude ; and it may well be a subject 

 of wonder, that this enterprizing nation, the first 

 which was lirmlv established on the coasts and 

 islands of the Pacific, should have been the last 

 to make discoveries in that part of the world. 



THE UOMINUS VOBISCUM. 1527. 



We ought, perhaps, to be less surprized at the 

 indifference shewn for northern discovery by the 

 maritime nations of Europe, when we find that, 

 notwithstanding the liberal encouragement given 

 by Henry VII. and his successor Edward VI., 

 to Sebastian Cabota, the spirit of enterprize seems 

 to have lain dormant in England for thirty years 

 nearly ; at least no memorial of any voyage under- 

 taken either for profit or discovery is left on record 

 during that period. In fact the real spirit of ad- 

 venture had not yet stimulated the mercantile part 

 of the nation to engage in foreign trade or to make 

 discoveries; and so little impression had the ex- 

 ploits of Cabota and his suggestions for following 

 them up made on the minds of the people of Eng- 

 land, or of the governmetit, that this great pilot 



