A.D. 



H97 



The second 

 voyage of 

 Cabot to the 

 land of 

 Brasil, and 

 Rio de plata. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



And when my father died in that time when newes were 

 brought that Don Christopher Colonus Genuese had 

 discovered 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 divine then humane, to saile by the 

 West into the East where spices growe, by a way that 

 was never knowen before, by this fame and report there 

 increased in my heart a great flame of desire to attempt 

 some notable thing. And understanding by reason of 

 the Sphere, that if I should saile by way of the North- 

 west, I should by a shorter tract come into India, I 

 thereupon caused the King to be advertised of my devise, 

 who immediatly commanded two Carvels to bee furnished 

 with all things appertayning to the voyage, which was as 

 farre as 1 remember in the yeere 1496. in the beginning 

 of Sommer. I began therefore to saile toward the North- 

 west, not thinking to finde any other land then that of 

 Cathay, & 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. Never- 

 thelesse, sayling along by the coast to see if I could flnde 

 any gulfe that turned, I found the lande still continent 

 to the $6. degree under our Pole. And seeing that there 

 the coast turned toward the East, despairing to flnde the 

 passage, I turned backe againe, and sailed downe by the 

 coast of that land toward the Equinoctiall (ever with 

 intent to finde the saide passage to India) and came to 

 that part of this firme lande which is nowe called Florida, 

 where my victuals failing, I departed from thence and 

 returned into England, where I found great tumults 

 among the people, and preparation for warres in Scot- 

 land : by reason whereof there was no more consideration 

 had to this voyage. 



Whereupon I went into Spaine to the Catholique king y 

 and Queene Elizabeth, which being advertised what I 

 had done, intertained me, and at their charges furnished 

 certaine ships, wherewith they caused me to saile to dis- 



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