Ni Eee OU" NN. DE ATTN ED: 
rice. Here my comparifon with the once-potent order of the Roman church 
fails. 
Terra de Labrador, at Cape Charles, in lat. 52, trends towards the fouth-weft. 
Between that cape and the ifle of Newfoundland begin the ftreights of Bellei/le, a 
paflage with from twenty’to thirty fathoms water; but often choaked up with 
the floating ice from the north, even fo late as the middle of Fune*. They open 
into the vaft triangular gulph of St. Lawrence, bounded to the north by Terra de 
Labrador ; to the weft by Nova Scotia; to the eaft by Cape Breton and Newfoundland. 
In the weftern corner, the vaft river of St. Laurence difcharges itfelf ; arifing from 
a thoufand ftreams which feed the fea-like lakes of Canada, and, after falling down 
the amazing cataract of Niagara, and darting down the flopes of numberlefs 
foaming rapids, tremendous to all but Britifh battalions +, forms a matchlefs 
navigation of many hundred miles. ‘Facques Cartier, a native of St. Males, had, 
in 1534, the honor of being the firft difcoverer of this noble river. 
In the gulph are fcattered feveral important iflands, occupied by the Engli/fh and 
French for the fake of the fitheries. The fmall rocky ifles of St. Magdalene are 
ftill frequented by numbers of /Va/rufes. There is an annual chace during the 
feafon, and numbers are killed for the fake of the oil and fkinst. The water 
round the MJagdalenes is only from three to nine fathoms deep, and the fhores 
flope moft conveniently into it for the afcent or defcent of thefe animals. The 
water round the other ifles is of one depth, except on the north fide of St. Fohn’s. 
Newfoundland (a name, in the infancy of difcovery, common to all North Ame- 
rica) was difcovered in 1496, by the celebrated Venetians, Sebaftian Cabot and his 
three fons; who, at their own charges, under a grant of Henry VII. giving them 
pofleffion (as vaffals of his) of all lands they might difcover §, coafted from 
lat. 67. 30, to the capes of Florida, and thus indifputably gave to ill-fated Britain 
the right, by pre-difcovery, of the whole continent of North America. The 
fhort-fighted avaricious prince, under whofe banners it was difcovered, had not 
the heart to make the proper advantage. He had before neglected the offer of Co- 
lumbus, which would have given him that fpecies of right to the whole New 
World. ‘ But,’ fays the courtier-like Bacon q, ‘ it was not a refufal on the king’s 
© part, but a delay by accident, which put by fo great an acqueft.”, The French 
foon found out the gold mine of the Newfoundland difcovery, which offered itfelf 
in the fifheries. Of all minerals (twice fays the fame noble philofopher) there 
* Barrington’s Mifcel.25. + Read the account of Lord Amber/t’s defcent down this river, in 1760. 
t See p. 148, § Rymer's Fad. @ Hif, King Henry VIL, Bacon's Works, iii, 89. 
is 
CXCV 
MAGDALENE 
ISLES. 
