[s. K. daavson] THE VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS 1S5 



with Soncino's account of the quantity of fish found by Cabot, he says 

 " the spot noted for its amazing quantity is the vicinity of Cape Chudleigh, 

 " which the above details and other reasons seem to indicate as the place 

 " visited by John Cabot in 1497." 1 too hastily assumed that the visit 

 was the landfall, but Mr. Ilarrisse indicated his meaning more indefinitely 

 at p. 110, where he says, " the critic must place the landfall on some point 

 " of the north coast of Labrador, probably between Sandwich bay and 

 " Cape Chudleigh." 1 did not observe until after my paper was printed 

 that there was in the volume a map showing a landfall at Sandwich bay, 

 and a coasting voyage north to Cape Chidley and a return south along 

 the coast to jSTcM^foundland. I would, however, remark that anywhere 

 from Sandwich bay north, June 24 or July 3 is too early for fish. Greedy 

 harbour is close to Sandwich bay — a little south of it — and there, as 

 pointed out in the Labrador Pilot, quoted «nfep. 153, " Field ice remains 

 " until about the middle of July, soon after which the fishing fleet are 

 " enabled to sail north," so that if John Cabot could have got there " two 

 " or three weeks before June 24th." which is Mr. Harrisse's last theory, or 

 even on June 24 or July 3, there would have been no fish, for according 

 to the table given in Appendix G of my paper of 1894, the fish do not strike 

 in at that latitude until about July 15. To suppose the little "Matthew " 

 was plying up and down that coast for game at that season of the year is 

 more difiicult than to suppose that by some happy chance she got through 

 the ice at some one point, even near Cape Chidley, and got quickly away 

 again. 



It has been pointed out that, in the year 149t, the calendar had not 

 been reformed, and that Ju.ne 24th was really much later. The exact 

 retardation of the calendar in that year was nine daj^s, and translated 

 into new stjie it would be July 3rd, but the conditions are very little 

 altered and the objections remain insuperable still. They are not based 

 on a narrow margin of a few days, for an exceptional season might then 

 be supposed to cover the case. The date of the clearing of the ice from 

 the coast north of latitude 53° is much later, as the table of the arrival 

 of the cod will show, and the extracts given here and in Appendix A will 

 substantiate. 



After the very full details in my previous papers, and especially in 

 Appendices A and G of the pajier of 1896, it is unnecessary to dwell upon 

 the subject longer. And now I would ask the candid reader whether it 

 is probable that John Cabot, having made his landfall on the coast of 

 Atlantic Labrador, and coasted it to Hudson's strait, would have dared 

 to take there the next year a large expedi lion to settle that country, and 

 with assorted stocks of caps, cloths, laces and miscellaneous goods for the 

 inhabitants'*^? A land where there are now no settlers but the Moravian 

 Brethren and the Esquimaux round their missions ! I need not inquire 

 why, when the second expedition steered north and went to Labrador, 



