CXXX ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



marks laid down, and Cosa, who was a classic scholar, imbued with the 

 epigi*ammatic spirit of the age, condensed them into a word, generally a 

 compound one. Instead, therefore, of Cabot's English phrases, we have 

 Cosa's elegant condensations, according to the classic rule of the time. 

 The stones of Egypt were silent for long centuries, but eventually they 

 were given a tongue. They now tell us numberless interesting stories, 

 and throw light on many hitherto obscure subjects. If we can give a 

 tongue to all the names on the chart, the}', too, will speak their message, 

 and aid us to a knowledge of historic truth. Hitherto, so far as my 

 reading goes, the important ones have been dumb.* It has been said 

 they have no meaning in Spanish, Italian or Latin. I think I may say 

 with every confidence that this oj)inion will no longer prevail. 



Before interpreting the names, their latitude was taken by the 

 discovered scale. We do not pretend that this measurement was per- 

 fectly accurate, as the name might not be exactl}^ opposite the land- 

 mark : hence in each case the latitude is to be understood as approxi- 

 mate. Then we interpreted the names. Finally, with chart and " Sail- 

 ings Directions " before us, we found how accurately Cabot must have 

 described the objects, and how ai^propriately Cosa summed up the 

 description. It is, of course, possible Cabot may have given the names 

 which Cosa simply translated, but this does not appear probable. 



Let us begin at the north. Cavo de Ynglaterra or Cape P]ngland, 

 was fittingly given to the cape that forms the huge elbow of the land, 

 north and south, which Cabot had added to the domains of England's 

 king. 



]S"ext comes Cavo Saltanatre (in appendix " C," will be found the 

 derivation and component parts of the various words. I shall here 

 merely state their meaning). Its latitude is that of the southeast cape 

 of Kamaktorvik Bay. Its meaning is " Cape of the Saltant " or " up- 

 leaping land." We find from "The Pilot" [465] that immediately 

 north of Kamaktorvik Bay, four lofty peaks from five to six thousand 

 feet shoot upward. It is the highest land on the Labrador coast. " Cape 

 of the Saltant Land " graphically describes the place. 



Agron, meaning a conspicuous, or remarkable peak, we find to be in 

 latitude 58° 30'. Turning to the chart we see at 58° 40' slightly 

 north of Saglek Bay, Mount Blow-me down, of which " The Pilot " [462] 

 says, " It is a remarkable square-topped hill, not less than 3,000 feet 

 high, and may be seen from a distance of fifty or sixty miles from the 

 northward on a clear day." There can be no mistake in identifying 

 this " remarkable square-topped hill " with Cabot's conspicuous peak or 

 Cosa's Agron. 



The next two names are not significant of any physical features. 

 Cava de S. Joham is, I think, Finger Hill, whilst S. Nicholas is Capo 



* Mr. Harrisse says many of them " convey no meaning to us." As a rule other 

 writers do not refer to them. 



