IN NORTHERN MISTS 



Scolvus. This the historians who have written about him have 

 not noticed. After stating that Sebastian (should be John) 

 Cabotte was sent out by King Henry VII. of England in 1496 

 (should be 1497) to find the passage from the North Sea (i.e., 

 the Atlantic Ocean) to the South Sea (i.e., the Pacific), and that 

 " one Caspar Cortesreales, a pilot of Portingale," had visited 

 these islands on the north coast of North America in 1500, the 

 document continues : 



" But to find oute the passage oute of the North Sea into the Southe we 

 must sayle to the 60 degree, that is, from 66 unto 68. And this passage is called 

 the Narowe Sea or Streicte of the three Brethren [i.e., the three brothers Corte- 

 real] ; in which passage, at no tyme in the yere, is ise wonte to be found. The 

 cause is the swifte ronnyng downe of sea into sea. In the north side of this 

 passage, John Scolus, a pilot of Denmerke, was in anno 1476." 



Then follows a story of a Spaniard who, in 1541, is said 

 to have been on the south side of this passage with a troop 

 of soldiers, and to have found there some ships that had 

 come thither with goods from Cataya (China). Complete 

 impossibilities, like this last story, are thus blended together 

 with statements that have a sure historical foundation, like 

 the voyage of Caspar Cortereal. As the statement about 

 Scolus, or Scolvus, contains things that are not found in 

 Comara, it seems to be derived from another source; the 

 date in particular is remarkable. That Scolus is a pilot 

 from Denmark, while the pilot Scolvus, in Comara, came 

 from Norway, is perhaps immaterial, as, of course, Norway 

 and Denmark were under a common king, who resided 

 in Denmark. 



On an English map of 1582 (after Frobisher's voyages), 

 which is attributed to Michael Lok, there is a country to the 

 north-west of Creenland, upon which is written: "Jac. 

 Scolvus Croetland." As the name is here written Jac. 

 Scolvus, it is not likely that it can be derived from the 

 document of 1575 we have quoted. The corresponding 

 country on Mercator's map of 1569 is inscribed: " Croclant, 

 insula cuius incole Suedi sunt origine" (island whose inhabi- 

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