146 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



" immemorial tradition of Bonavista — happy sight," the glad cry of the 

 storm-tossed mariners ? What shall we say of Mason's map ? of Du- 

 pont's map ? and what of Keels, " where the first keel grated on the 

 " shingle ? " and of King's cove — " the royal port, where the royal stand- 

 " ard was hoisted ? " 



6. — The Cape St. John Landfall. 



It will be convenient to pause here and ascertain how, according to 

 this new theory, John Cabot got to Greenland on his way to make a 

 landfall at Cape St. John. 



In the early part of his lecture the bishop treats of the Norse voyages 

 to Greenland and Vinland. I pass over statements concerning these 

 voyages, for they are not now in question, merely observing that if the 

 Northmen of Greenland discovered America in A.D. 1000 it is no proof 

 that a vessel from Bristol had to go to Greenland to do the same thing in 

 1497. " The Norsemen of Iceland," he continues, "never altogether lost 

 " their connection with these western lands, and up to the time of Colum- 

 " bus and Cabot, Greenland was still inhabited, A.D. 1492 " (p. 14). At that 

 time John Cabot " was a man of influence in the commercial world of Bris- 

 " toi." " It can scarcely be doubted then that he made several voyages to 

 " Iceland, and that he knew well the coui-se to that island (p. 6). He was 

 " well acquainted with the position of Greenland from his intercourse with 

 " the Icelanders " (pp. 13-14). Concerning these statements I would only 

 remark that, while Cabot could easily have heard from the Bristol mer- 

 chants trading to Iceland much concerning that island, there is no record 

 of his having visited it, and that, instead of being a man of influence, it is 

 expressly stated by his countryman, Soncino who knew him, that he, 

 " being a foreigner and poor, would not have been believed " if the crew 

 (on the first voyage) had not been Englishmen, and testified that what 

 he said was the truth. In this way, however, the lecturer proved that 

 John Cabot was well acquainted with Greenland. Now, as John Cabot's 

 destination was Zipango and Cathay and the latitudes of these places 

 were laid down for him on Behaim's globe and Toscanelli's chart 

 between the parallels of 35° and 50° directly west of Europe, it is evident 

 that any knowledge of Greenland he might have possessed would have 

 prevented him from going in that direction and would have deterred him 

 from approaching its ice-laden waters in the month of May to search 

 for a region of spices and brazil-wood. 



The minute and protracted examination of all surviving records and 

 notices of the Cabot voyages has, during the last few years, resulted in a 

 general consensus of opinion that there are two groups of documents 

 which should be carefully distinguished. For convenience sake let them 

 be called groups A and B. Group A consists of contemporary documents, 



