442 i;OYAI. SOCIKTY OF CANADA 



the former, C. Grosso is Gasp6 ]Ieacl, as we sliall show; the opening by 

 \t the St. Lawrence ; that to the right, the Straits of Belle Isle. A^er- 

 ax./ano uiniiistakal)ly gives P. E. Island, and calls it St. John, although 

 unduly removed from the shore of Nova Scotia, and traces the lines 

 of the Gulf almost up to Gaspé. To illustrate these more clearly let 

 us consider two other maps given by Dr. Dawson in his paper of 1801, 

 viz: — Gaspar Viegas (Fig. 5) and one from Kretschmer (Fig. C). They 

 are both fairly good maps of the Gulf, much more ïiccurate than several 

 later ones. Dr. Dawson, who can find the "greater Magdalen" (it is 

 only twenty miles long) no matter how far it may be out of its proper 

 position, or howsoever orienttited, will not surely exact absolute accuracy 

 even when a map does not show his interesting big island. These maps 

 are said to make the Gulf too small. That is only apparently true. 

 Keduce an ordin^ary chart of the Gulf to the same size and their general 

 accuracy will be made manifest. 



Xow let us examine Viegas' and the Kretschmer maps and we 

 shall see how well known the Gulf must have been to sailors. 



On both maps Cape Eay is most appropriately named C. da Yolta, 

 "the turning Cape," that is the point where you turn into the Gulf. 

 Following the north shore we see the outlines of St. George's F.ay, 

 then B'ay of Islands called R. Ilemoso, then the outlines of Bonne Bay. 

 Continuing north we find an opening named on both maps R. da 

 Traveca. This is as suggestive as C. da Volta, for it tells that this 

 water or river leads across. Traveca, with C soft, now w'ritten Travessa, 

 is a cross j)ath, a traject, a lane. Hence R. da Traveca is a river path 

 across. Across what ? Or wdiither does it lead ? It leads across to the 

 ocean beyond, and is the first known name of the Straits of Belle Isle. 

 The meaning is quite as clear as that of the Turning Cape, and proves 

 that our cartographers were cognizant of the existence of an exit here 

 from the Gulf. 



The shore line is resumed on the north side of the Straits and we 

 proceed around trending westward till we reach a river marked C. 

 Coprido, that is Long, or large river. This is either Esquimaux or St. 

 Augustine's. Next wc read on both maps Costacha. It is neither a. 

 river nor a cape, it means a level or smooth, coast. Now there is a 

 long stretch of level coast between the Esquimaux and little Meoattina 

 rivers. Hence we are sure of our position, and we see how carefully 

 the country had been examined, l^ursuing our course we find Pegna 

 or Small Bay. This is Wolf Bay where the Hudson Bay Company 

 have a trading i)ost. Then we reach R. Folhas, op Leafy River, the 

 northern mouth, I think, of the St. Lawronco. as C. da Golf a, the 



