[O'BRIEN] CABOT'S LANDFALL AND CHART 4S3 



how it was customary to note any natural peculiarity of rock or head- 

 land, or hillock along the coast. The same custom prevails to-day as 

 can be seen from reading the " Newfoundland and Labrador Pilot." 

 If it can be shown that several of the words on Cabot's chart indicate 

 striking natural peculiarities similar to those quoted in the Address 

 from an old log book, or to those which can be cited from modem 

 sailing directions, no one will be disposed to make light of the value 

 to be derived from their interpretation. The words are on the chart, 

 placed there either by La Cos'a or Cabot. They are more tangible than 

 the variations of unknown -astrolabes, and their meaning of more service 

 in tracing Cabot's course than surmises, based on conjectures, as to the 

 probable effect of those variations. One short paragraph giving the 

 true meaning of those words would be productive of more accurate 

 information, than pages innumerable of suppositions which never pass, 

 frequently do not even reach the stage of hypothesis. 



Owing to the similarity of early Spanish to the Latin language, 

 it was stated in Appendix C of the Address that La Cosa adopted 

 Spanish or Latin terms. In fact, I believe now lall the words were 

 Spanish, but some of them could be called Latin also. 



Illustrations of their meaning were quoted in Appendix C from 

 cognate languages, a very natural and justifiable course. Now if the 

 meaning, given in the Address, of Agron, Argair and other words on 

 the chart, be correct, we have eight remarkable features of the coast 

 described for us. It was shown in the Address that by applying the 

 scale which locates so well the islands, etc., these eight remarkable 

 features would be approximately located in the vicinity of natural 

 peculiarities described in the "Newfoundland and Labrador Pilot,'' in 

 words which unmistakably correspond. The force of this argument 

 can be broken only by proving incorrect the meanings given, or by 

 finding a succession of corresponding features elsewhere. 



A scholar anxious to arrive at the truth should carefully investi- 

 gate every source of information. I do not regret the hours spent in 

 endeavouring to open up this one. Dr. D'awson, however, does not look 

 upon it as worthy of consideration. The procedure is, he avers, based 

 on the hypothesis that La Cosa was a classic scholar. Now, whether 

 La Cosa was, or was not, a classic scholar is scarcely to the point. The 

 words are there on his map, they were meant to express something. 

 ^\^lat was it ? To what language do they belong ? English ? Ger- 

 man ? Low Dutch ? Spanish ? Italian ? Latin ? Surely it is not 

 an idle task to attempt to decipher them. To shirk this labour does 

 not appear quite in line with the remarl^able industry displayed by Dr. 



