IN NORTHERN MISTS 



of 1500.* The Basque cartographer, Juan de la Cosa, who 

 owned and navigated Columbus's ship, in 1492, and who was 

 afterwards entrusted with many public undertakings, enjoyed 

 a reputation in Spain as a map-maker and sailor. He was 

 commissioned by the Spanish crown to produce a map of the 

 world, and we must suppose that, for this work, he was pro- 



North-western portion of Juan de la Cosa's map of 1500. Only 



vided with all the maps and geographical information that 

 were available in Spain. From a letter of July 25, 1498, to 

 Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, from Ayala, the Spanish Min- 



1 No particular weight, it is true, can be attached to the map of 1544, which 

 is attributed to Sebastian Cabot, or which was, at any rate, influenced by him, 

 as the statements of this man can never be depended upon. At the same time, 

 the information given on this map to the effect that Cabot first reached land 

 at Cape Breton agrees in a remarkable way with La Cosa's map, as we shall 

 see directly. 

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