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which the learned author closes his climax, but unfortunately as I hope 

 to show, it is based upon a most illusory and illogical foundation. It 

 is true that between the date admitted by all for Cabot's departure 

 from Bristol (May 2nd) and June 24th, the date we hold to have been 

 that of the landfall, there are fifty-two days. But it is quite a mistake 

 to argue that Cabot would have taken two-thirds of that time, or 

 thirty-four days, to return. In order to prove this, it will be neces- 

 sary to consider the circumstances connected with the outward voyage. 



In the first place, we know for certain, that Cabot did not steer a 

 straight course for the western world, but on the contrary having sailed 

 out through Bristol and the Irish channels and rounded Cape Clear, 

 he bent his course northward on the route to Iceland. He kept this 

 route for some days, sailing northward along the west shore of Ireland 

 and Scotland. We learn this fact from the letter of Don Eaimondo 

 Soncini, Ambassador of the Duke of Milan, written on the 18th Decem- 

 ber, 1497, from London to Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan. This 

 document is of undoubted authority. The original is among the 

 " Corrispondenza Ducale" in Milan, and a C0|py exists in the British. 

 Museum. These are the words referring to our present question. . . . 



