[howley] latest lights ON THE CABOT CONTROVERSY 213 



We now come to consider more closely the exact site of 

 Cabot's landfall. Here, in Newfoundland, we are divided in our 

 opinions, but our divisions are only of a comparatively minor nature. 

 We all bold tbe theory whioh I have above placed under the first 

 category, viz., the east coast of Newfoundland or some part of Labrador 

 coast. When writing my " lecture " and obtaining the practical evi- 

 dence of men like Captain Cleary, I was of opinion that the landfall 

 was at Cape St. John, on the N. E. coast of Newfoundland, exactly in 

 latitude 50° N., and I brought forward many arguments to endeavour 

 to prove that theory. The learned Judge Prowse, K.C., LL.D., stood 

 out strongly for Cape Bonavista; James P. Howley, Esq., F.G.S., and 

 Geological Surveyor of Newfoundland, held for the point of Domino, 

 in Labrador. 



Captain Cleary, when asked what he thought of the question of 

 Oaibot's landfall, said, " He migtht have made Labrador coast near 

 Domino or Indian Tickle, or he might have made some point on the 

 N. E. coast of Newfoundland, such as Cape St. John or C. Bonavista. 

 It would depend on the wind. But he couldn't make Cape Breton 

 having in view to make land westward of Greenland." Although I 

 brought forward what I considered many strong arguments in favour 

 of my theory of C. St. John, still I musit confess I was not fully con- 

 vinced of the certainty of my case and was still open to conviction, if I 

 should receive any stronger arguments for some other point. 



During a voyage across the Atlantic on board the Allan steamer 

 Peruvian, in the summer of 1902, I had some conversations with the 

 amiiable and intelligent Captain Eennie, on the question of the Cabot 

 landfall. The subject was new to him. That is to say, he had never 

 given any special attention to it, and he was perfectly unbiassed con- 

 cerning the point in dispute. He, however, at once took a lively 

 interest in it. I gave him my " lecture " on the subject. He perused 

 it attentively two or three times. Studied it out with his charts and 

 tables, and coming to me, he said emphatically, " I will stake my 

 reputation as a navigator that St. John's, Newfoundland, was the 

 point of the landfall." I was surprised, but overjoyed to hear it, as 

 this would verify the old and favoured tradition, and on receipt of 

 Captain Eennie's argument, together with a map marked by him 

 which he very kindly gave me, I willingly gave up my theory of Cape 

 St. John. The Captain had worked out the case by nautical science 

 and practical knowledge, and then applying his conclusions to the 

 ohart, found that the spoj; indicated was St. John's ! The following 

 is the gist of his arguments and observations: 



Starting from the hypothesis that Cabot reached Cape Farewell, in 

 Greenland, a fact which, after a perusal of the " lecture," the Captain 



