[s. E. DAWSON] THE VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS 149 



iidaptation has led. Take a paragraph on p. 13 : " Again we know from 

 " a conversation reported by Eamusio that Cabot " (that was Sebastian) 

 " was acquainted with the principle of great circle sailing, and claimed 

 " that his course to the northwest would open India by a shorter route 

 *' than the westerly run of Columbus. Again : As we have already 

 " remarked, he " (that was John Cabot) " had learned from the Arabian 

 ■" merchants that the lands of Cathay and Zipango were to be found 

 " towards the northwest," ''" Here the father and son are confounded 

 together, and, moreover, Cathay might well be northwest (i.e., northeast) 

 to the Arabian merchants near Mecca in lat. 21° 28', and not to Bristol 

 merchants in lat. 51° 30', who were already 30° to the north of Mecca. 



At p. 25 is another instance. We have seen that the statements as 

 to latitude of Gomara and Peter Martyr were taken from the context in 

 group B and applied to the first voyage, but here they are taken in again 

 and applied to the second, where in truth they belong. Cabot is here 

 thought to have entered Hudson's strait and passed up Fox channel as 

 far as G6° or ii^h°, within the Arctic circle. Then, in the same paragraph 

 (]), 26), the information from Eamusio and Eichard Eden is brought in, 

 about the discontented sailors, belonging to a third voyage which 

 some think occurred in 1517, but which, in the opinion of many students, 

 never occurred at all. The main thesis of the lecture is to show that 

 John Cabot, with the open ocean before him to the west, knowing of no 

 obstacle, and seeking Cathay, known to be in latitude 35° to 50° on the 

 east coast of Asia, sailed to Cnyie Farewell in Greenland, and having 

 reached it (p. 21) early in June, "passed on in search of the northwest 

 ^' passage." 



But having got to Greenland, and starting off as explained above to 

 the northwest, how did Cabot light upon Cape St. John ? He was going 

 northwest and he arrives far to the southwest. We find that having 

 arrived at Cape Farewell " he made no delay " (p. 21). " He saw (p. 21) 

 ■'• that it was bleak and uninviting even then, early in June," and " he 

 " made no landfall." That, however, was the first land seen after a 

 voyage of 1,500 miles and, therefore, was his landfall in the plain and 

 accepted meaning of the word. 



Following the lecture we have traced Cabot's course to Cape Fare- 

 well, and now we learn that from that point " we have no reliable state- 

 " ment as to the exact coui'se steered by Cabot when he turned his prow 

 " westward ho ! His own log being lost, we must trust to the statements 

 " of men such as Soncino and De Ayala, who, not being nautical men, 

 " were not particular to a point or two." ^^ Here one may reasonably 

 ask, what " reliable statement" has the bishop been following which has 

 brought Cabot to Cape Farewell, in Greenland, early in June and then 

 deserted him ? And, in truth, the lecturer is not satisfied in his own mind. 

 The confidence which traced Cabot 390 miles north to St. Kilda's, and 



