300 J. G. BOUEINOT 



which he found in use among the natives for " codfish." (See Kohl " Doc. Hist, of Maine," 188-189-481). Be that as 

 it may there is every reason to believe that the Basques and Bretons ventured into American waters during times of 

 which we have no record, and it is quite certain that Baccalaos is a word long used for codfish among the people on the 

 Bay of Biscay and that it lingers still in tlie Spanish language, probably an inheritance from the Basques. L'Escarbot 

 is of opinion " il est de l'imposition de nos Basques lesquels appellent une morue, Bacaillos," (i. 237). He adds 

 that the proper name of the codfish in the Indian tongue is " apege," — which is obviously the present Micmac word, 

 " pegoo" (See Band's " Micmac Diet"). Kohl is a strong advocate fur the German origin of the term— the root of 

 the word being, according to him, the Germanic " bolch" meaning fish. In his opinion the Portuguese fishermen 

 originated the term tiera de Bacalhas, the stock-fish country, which eventually assumed the Spanii^h form Baccal- 

 laos " Doc. Hist, of Maine, 1S8, 189 and n. But see Harrisse's Cabots, 75. The •' Nar. and Crit. Hist, of Am." 

 (vol. iii, especially p. 12, note 2) gives references to the various tlieories on the origin of the name, and after 

 studying the opinions and considering all the testimony adduced on all sides, one must come to the conclusion 

 the Basques can claim to have been among the earliest discoverers of eastern America. 



VI. CAETOGE.\pnY OF Cape Bebton, 1527-1632. 



Oviedo ("Historia de las Indias, ii. 14Si who gives a description of the eastern coast of America in 1537 shows 

 no knowledge of the gulf but he refers to the four coasts of Cape Breton Island. In the Maiollo map (1527) the 

 cape (c. de berton) is laid down quite distinctly. In Kibero's (1529) the terra de Breto is the mainland. 

 In Rotz's map (1542) Cabo Bretos is a large island with a long narrow strait between it and the main land. 

 On the Ulpius globe Cavo de brettoni is defined. In the alleged Sebastian Cabot mappe monde (1544) J. Cabot's 

 landfall is given as the eastern cape of the mainland, but there is an island to the south named del berto. In 

 Allefonsce's sketches (1544-5) the island is well delineated. In Henri II map (154(!) Terre des Bretons is given to 

 the country afterwards known as Acadie and cap aux Bretons is represented by a small island ofl' the coast. In 

 the Freire map (1546) C. Bretain is the southerly cape of the mainland, and the same happens in the Nic. Vallard's 

 (of Dieppe) the exact date of which is uncertain. In the Gastaîdi map (probably 1550) Cape Breton is an island 

 off the mainland of the Tierra de los broton. In Jomard's (attributed to between 15-50 and 1560) C. Breton is a 

 southerly point of a small narrow island off the eastern mainland In the Baptista Agnese map (1554) 

 terra de los bertoms is on the mainland south of Terra de Bacalaos. In Bellero's map (1554) C. Breton is a cape of 

 the mainland. In Munster's (1540) C. Britonum is a cape of the continent and Cortereal is given to an island, 

 probably the present Cape Breton. In Homen's, the Portuguese map-maker, (1558) C. dos bertoens is obviously 

 Cape Breton, but no island is delineated. In Ruscelli's C. Breton is delineated off the eastern coast of Tien a de 

 los Breton. In Zaltieri's (1556) Cape Breton is a small island to the south of terra de baccalaos, clearly the present 

 maritime provinces of Canada. In Nicholas des Liens's (1556) cap aux Bretons is given to a long irregular penin- 

 sula to the south of Terra de Labrarlor, and to the northeast of Nouvelle France which appears to include the 

 present Eastern States. In Mercator's (1569) Cap de Breton is an island off the mainland of Norombega or Nova 

 Scotia. In Ortelius's (1570, Cape Breton is not named, but the map is evidently a reproduction of the former, and 

 the island appears ofl' Norumbega. In Porcacchi's (1572) the delineations are even less correct, and Cape Berton is 

 an insignificant island off the soulhern coast of Terra del Laborador. Larcadia and Canada are both mentioned. 

 In Jud;eis's (1593) C. de brito is a mere spot off the mainland the configuration of which shows an enlarged 

 geographical knowledge of the coasts. In De Bry's (.1596) C. de Bertam is an island, fairly delineated for those 

 days, off Nova Fraucia and Norombega. In Wy diet's (1597) " Nova Frahcia et Canada," there is a large island off 

 the eastern coast, an excellent if rude delineation of the present Cape Breton but the cape is not accurately placed 

 as it is given to the mainland. In Quadus's (IGOO) C. de Breton is a small island off Norombega. From that date 

 there is a new interest taken in the exploration of eastern America, and the maps of Champlain commence a 

 new era in the cartography of Cape Breton. The reader who wishes to study the ancient geography of the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence will find illustrations of the maps, cited above, and a great deal of critical knowledge on the subject, 

 in the " Nar. and Crit. Hist.," vol. iv. Excellent representations of many of the old maps are also given in Dr. 

 Kohl's Documentarj' History of Maine. Mr. Ganong, in the paper mentioned on the following page, reproduces 

 a number of these maps, and gives a learned dissertation on the subject well worthy of attention. It is interest- 

 ing to note how nearly the adventurous Bretons succeeded in establishing their name on a considerable portion of 

 Eastern America, including the present island. 



The advocates of the Basque claim to the prior discovery and the naming of Cape Breton may urge in their favour 

 the fact that the name of its cape is that of a headland in the bay of Biscay, in a district originally inhabited by a 

 Basque population. On the other hand, in support of the Breton claim, there are the numerous maps, to which I 

 have already referred, which seem to substantiate the fact that the cape was really named the Breton cape or the 



