TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



19 



years later by Columbus, there was no communication 

 between Europe and America. 



Although Columbus was undoubtedly, so far as 

 we know, the first European who discovered the 

 numerous and important West Indian Islands, yet he 

 cannot claim to have been the first to discover 

 America. That, as I have shown, was the work of a 

 number of other persons, and at various times, but 

 even to come down to his day he was anticipated by 

 the Cabots, father and son, fully two years before. 



John Cabot and his son Sebastian were Venetian 

 merchants settled in Bristol. In March 1496, John 

 Cabot prevailed on Henry VII. to allow him to fit out 

 an expedition at his own expense to go on a voyage of 

 discovery. The King ordered a patent to be made 

 in Cabot 's name with the exclusive right so far as his 

 English subjects were concerned, to him and his 

 family for three years. He fitted out his expedition, 

 and with a fleet of five ships set sail on his voyage of 

 discovery accompanied by his son Sebastian. They 

 discovered the far north continent of America in 

 the neighbourhood of Labrador and returned to 

 England. He again obtained another patent from 

 the King ; this time the King undertaking to pay part 

 of the cost of the fresh expedition. This expedition 

 was commanded by Sebastian Cabot, who annexed 

 that vast continent from the extreme north down to 

 the latitude of Maryland or Albemarle Sound. Want 

 of provisions induced him to return to England. 



In the history of maritime enterprise in the New 

 World, the achievements of John and Sebastian 



