[s. B. DAWSON] 



THE VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS 



21 



" ute crustacean to the prawn and crab, together with the molluscous 

 " animals and starfish in vast profusion which contribute to the support 

 " of the great schools of cod which also find their home there. The same 

 " current which brings the slime and multitudes of minute crustaceans 

 " also carries on its bosom innumerable cod ova, and distributes them far 

 " and wide." 



There is no need to go to Cape Chidley for abundance of cod, for the 

 fishermen of Labrador have not yet extended their operations so far 

 north. The Arctic current sweeps down along the east coast of New- 

 foundland and along the coasts of Nova Scotia and New England. The 

 Americans have fished out their waters, and the myriads of fish which 

 swarm into every bay round Newfoundland show signs of diminution, 

 but the old winters speak of the cod on these coasts as being so numer- 

 ous as almost to stop the vessels. For three hundred yeai-s the cod-fishery 

 on the banks of Newfoundland has been the annual resort of the fisher- 

 men not only of the colonies but of western Europe, and no signs of 

 exhaustion are yet apparent. The simple fact is that the Labrador fish- 

 eries are newer ground, and the Newfoundlanders are creeping up the 

 coast, and have got at present as far as Nain. Moreover — and this is 

 conclusive — the cod do not reach Cape Chidley until August. 



APPENDIX C. 

 Cape North on the Map of 1544. 



An inspection of the 1544 map will show how correctly Mr. Harrisse 

 read the meaning of the Prima Vista in his first book ; for the two points 

 at the north cannot be Cape St. Lawrence and Cape North on a map so 

 small in scale, but are Cape North and Cape Breton. The real fact is 

 that Cape St. Lawrence and Cape North are only seven geographical 

 miles apart, and the indentation which separates them is not more than 

 two and a half miles deep, so that they were long taken as one headland. 

 The whole question is exhaustively discussed by Dr. Bourinot in Appen- 

 dix VII. of his monograph on Cape Breton. It is one of gi-eat difficulty, 

 and it would inti'oduce new subject matter to go over ground which 

 Bourinot, Ganong, Pope and Bishop Howley have discussed at length. 

 It is sufficient here to say that the Cap Loraine of Cartier must be the 

 Cap Loran of Champlain's map of 1612 and Cap St. Laurens of his map 

 of 1632, and also the Cap de Nort of Denys in 

 1672. The whole island of Cape Breton was 

 called the island of " Sainct Laurens " before 

 and up to Champlain's time, although the 

 name of the long known Cape Breton was 

 then being extended over the island. Cham- 

 plain says the island is in the " shape of a tri- 

 angle :" that is, one point to the north — Cape 

 St. Lawrence, one to the northeast — Cape Bre- 

 ton, and one to the southwest at the Strait of 

 Canso. Denys's map is given in Dr. Bourinot s 

 " Cape Breton," and he, like Champlain, makes 

 one headland at the north, but calls it " Le Cap 

 de Nort.'' 



The annexed tracing, reduced from a re- 

 cent map, will show the triangular shape of 

 the island. 





Exterior outline of Cape 

 Breton Island. 



