at their own expense, to discover
and take possession for England of new lands not before found by any
Christian nation.

4. That John Cabot, accompanied perhaps by his son Sebastian, sailed from
Bristol early in May, 1497. He discovered and landed upon some part
of America between Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, and Cape Chidley, in
Labrador; that he returned to Bristol before the end of July of the same
year; that, whatever might have been the number of vessels which started,
the discovery was made by John Cabot's own vessel, the Matthew of
Bristol, with a crew of eighteen men.

5. That thereupon, and in consideration of this discovery made by John
Cabot, King Henry VII granted new letters-patent, drawn solely to John
Cabot, authorizing a second expedition on a more extended scale and with
fuller royal authority, which letters-patent were dated February 3, 1498;
that this expedition sailed in the spring of 1498, and had not returned
in October. It consisted of several ships and about three hundred men.
That John and Sebastian Cabot sailed on this voyage. When it returned
is not known. From the time of sailing of this expedition John Cabot
vanishes into the unknowable, and from thenceforth Sebastian alone
appears in the historic record.

These points are now fully supported by satisfactory evidence, mostly
documentary and contemporary. As for John Cabot, Sebastian said he died,
which is one of the few undisputed facts in the discussion; but if
Sebastian is correctly reported in Ramusio to have said that he died at
the time when the news of Columbus' discoveries reached England, then
Sebastian Cabot told an untruth, because the letters-patent of 1498 were
addressed to John Cabot alone. The son had a gift of reticence concerning
others, including his father and brothers, which in these latter days has
been the cause of much wearisome research to scholars. To avoid further
discussion of the preceding points is, however, a great gain.

From among the numerous opinions concerning the landfall of John Cabot
three theories emerge which may be seriously entertained, all three being
supported by evidence of much weight: 1. That it was in Newfoundland. 2.
That it was on the Labrador coast. 3. That it was on the island of Cape
Breton.

Until a comparatively recent period it was universally held by English
writers that Newfoundland was the part of North America first seen by
Cabot. The name "Newfoundland" lends itself to this vi