Sec. il, 1896. [ 3 ] Trans. R. S. C. 



I. — The Voyages of the Cahots in lJf.01 and IJfiS — A sequel to a paper in 

 the " Transactions " of 1891,.. 



By Samuel Edward Daavson, Lit. D. (Lav^al.) 



(ReadMay 19, 1896.) 



At the suggestion of one of its fellows — the Eev. Moses Harvey — the 

 Council of the Eoyal Society of Canada, in its report published in the 

 " Proceedings" of May, 1894, called attention to the near approach of the 

 year 1897, and to the fact that it was the four hundredth anniversary of 

 the discovery of the continent of America by John Cabot ; and in the 

 '■Transactions" of that same year is a paper discussing the landfalls of 

 the Cabot voyages, together with other kindred questions. The j)aper 

 was written at some length and with much detail, and was illustrated by 

 facsimiles of early maps. A few copies were published separately, and 

 were sent to those (so far as their addresses could be ascertained) who 

 had made a study of the subject. Tarions reviews and notices of this 

 paper appeared from time to time, and letters, generally commendatory, 

 were received from scholars who had devoted years to the solution of the 

 question. One notice, however, may with propriety be reproduced, be- 

 cause it is by a fellow of this society, and that one who had tirst drawn 

 the attention of the society to the approaching anniversary — it is by the 

 Eev. Moses Harvey — a scholar who has made a lifelong study of this and 

 of cognate subjects, whose woi-ks on the history of Newfoundland are of 

 high authority, and whose writings upon the geography and natural his- 

 tory of that island appear not only in many separate volumes but as con- 

 tributions in many standard works of importance. Of the paper Dr. 

 ■Harvey said : ' 



" This admirable monograjjh on ' The Voyages of the Cabots ' is 

 " peculiarly timely, and will help to awaken attention to the projected 

 " commemoration. It is incomparably the best thing ever written on 

 '• the subject. It discovers great industry in research and rare skill in 

 " the treatment of his materials. I have read and written a great deal 

 " on this subject, but we must all doff our caps to Dr. Dawson's exhaus- 

 " tive monograph. It appears to me he has settled the long disputed 

 " question of Cabot's lahdfall. The weight of evidence he has accumu- 

 " lated in favour of the Cape Breton theory will set aside all other claims. 

 " That in favour of Bonavista, Newfoundland, rests on vague tradition, 

 " and is sustained by no substantial evidence whatever. '"* 



This testimony comes with very great weight from a scholar of such 

 authority on those questions, and a resident, moreover, of Newfoundland. 



