32 DISCOVERIES OF 149^. 



was confirmed in his opinion of a western navi- 

 gation by Martin de Bohemia, his friend. * 



JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOTA. 149^- 



JoHNCABOTAorCABOT,acitizenof Venice, came 

 over to England with his son Sebastian, then a 

 boy, (besides two other sons,) and settled in Bristol. 

 Being a skilful pilot and intrepid navigator, Henry 

 VII., disappointed in the hope of engaging Cohim- 

 bus, throusrh the misfortunes of his brother Bartho- 

 lomew, encouraged Cabota to make discoveries by 

 granting him a patent, in virtue of which he had 

 leave to go in search of unknown lands, and to con- 

 quer and settle them ; the king reserving to him- 

 self one-fifth part of the profits. The patent bears 

 date the 5th March, 149^, being the eleventh year 

 of Henry's reign, and is granted to him by name, 

 and to his three sons, Lewis, Sebastian, and Sancius. 

 There is a sad disagreement in the date of the 

 voyage in which Newfoundland is supposed to 

 have been discovered ; and there is no possible 

 way of reconciling the various accounts collected 

 by Hakluyt, and which amount to no less a num- 

 ber than six, but by supposing John Cabota to 

 have made one voyage, at least, previous to the 

 date of the patent, and some time between that 

 and the date of the return of Columbus.t 



* Herrera, Dec. i. See Burney's History of Voyages and 

 Discoveries, vol. i. p. 3. 

 t Either in the year 1594 or 1595, 



