[iiowLKv] LATEST LIGHTS ON THE CABOT CONTROVERSY 207 



partitosi da Bristo, porto occidentale et poi, alzatosi verso el septentrione 

 commmciô ad navigare ala parte orientale {i.e., occidentale) lasciandosi 

 (fra qualche giorni) la tramontana a niano dritta." 



These statements though meagre, are of the utmost importance. 

 We learn from them that Cabot did not sail out directly westward 

 across the Atlantic Ocean into the unlcnown seas, but crept along 

 nortliward on the well-knowii and well-beaten track to Iceland '' fcr 

 some days.'^ 1 say this course to Iceland was a well-known one to the 

 merchants and navigators of Bristol. " Already since 1412," writes 

 Léonce Goyetche (Hist, of St. Jean de Ijuz), whale fishers had pene- 

 trated as far as Iceland." Towards the 3rd] quarter of the XV 

 Century (1-175), the English traded with Iceland and a large commerce 

 was maintained with it by Bristol." (Justin Winsor; Columbus, p. 138) 

 S'oncini also states that there was at this time " grandissima mercantia 

 di pesci coll' Islanda." Cabot was at this time one of the principal 

 captains sailing out of Bristol, and no doubt would have made several 

 voyages to Iceland. 



We do not know how far Cabot sailed on this northern course, 

 before striking out to the westward, but if we take the expression 

 of Soncini, " for some days," in its ordinary acceptation of, say 

 " three or four days," we can make an approximate guess at the 

 distance. The voyagers on their return home, stated that the land 

 discovered was about seven hundred leagues distant, and that now 

 that they knew where to go, they could go there in fifteen days. 

 (Soncini.) This statement must have been based on their actual obser- 

 vations and experience, and from it we argue as follows: We know 

 that the distance from Newfoundland to Bristol is about 1,900 miles, 

 we also know that the league of Cabot's time was a little over 3f 

 miles. Seven hundred leagues then, would equal about 1,900 miles 

 more or less. No other part of North America bears this relation to 

 England; and ol no other part but Newfoundland or Labrador could 

 such a statement be made. Secondly, by a simple calculation we find 

 that if they could make 700 leagues or 1,900 miles in 15 days, their 

 average speed would be about 5| to 6 knots an hour, or a little over 130 

 miles a day, which is very good sailing. If, then, we apply this scale 

 to the northern detour of Cabot and say he sailed northward for four 

 days, he would have made about 530 miles or 8^ degrees, and would 

 be in the latitude of 60|- degrees N. In other words, he would be 

 practically in the latitude of Cape Farewell in Greenland, or of 'Cape 

 Chidley in Labrador, and this is corroborated by the Historian Gomara. 

 who says Cabot sailed north till he came to the latitude of the " Cusp 

 of Labrador." He took the route to Iceland "until he came to the 

 latitude of the Cape of Labrador, until he reached the fifty-eighth degree 



