[howley] latest lights ON THE CABOT CONTROVERSY 215 



This current then would e^ntirely counteract and cancel the effect of 

 the Arctic current on Cabot's little ship, so that we may leave out of 

 our calculation the matter of current and lee-way, and so the brave 

 little Matthew would make straight for "tlie Narrows" of St. John's; 

 and rough old " Signal Hill," the very spot on which we have recently 

 erected the noble '' Cabot Tower," was really the first land seen by 

 Oabot. And the spot on which he hoisted the banners of St. George 

 and St. Mark on the 24th June, 1497.i . 



' With regard to the state^ment that Cabot coasted along his Newfoundland 

 for 300 leagues {HUU miles). This is easily accounted for, whether it was 

 southerly or northerly is not stated. I omce thought it might have been 

 southerly, on more careful consideration o^ the arguments heretofore adduced, 

 I now believe it was northerly. Having then rested a week at St. John's 

 they set out on their cruise along the shore, and as they were anxiously 

 looking out for the N. W. passage they would naturally have penetrated to 

 the heads (or bottoms, as we say) of all the great Northern Bays, namely. 

 Conception and Trinity Bay, 50 and 80 males deep respectively. Then they 

 would scour the inner reaches of Bonavista Bay, Notre Dame Bay, and 

 White Bay, and coast along the Petit Nord Peninsula to near the Strait of 

 Belle Isle. By this time they would have coasted fully 800 miles, and thence 

 they set their course for home. It is mentioned that in returning they saw 

 two large islands to starboard. These might be any of the numerous islands 

 off the N. shore of Newfoundland, e.g., the Gray Islands, St. Barbe Islands, 

 Twiillingate, or New World Island, Fogo Island, etc., etc. 



