hem, two
yeres after they were broughte into England, in Englishe apparell. Nay,
that which is more, Gabota discovered this longe tracte of the firme lande
twoo yeres before Columbus ever sawe any parte of the continente thereof.
For the firste parte of the firme land, called Paria, and Bocca di
Dragone, that is to say, the Dragons Mouthe, beinge to the southe of the
iland of Hispaniola, was discovered by him in his thirde voyadge; which,
as Peter Martir de Angleria, which was one of the councell of the West
Indies, wryteth, was in the yere 1498; which is confirmed by Ferdinandus
Columbus, his owne sonne, which was with his father in the voyadge (as
Oviedo confesseth, libr. 19. cap 1.), and wrote a journall of that
voyadge, shewinge, in the 67. chapiter of his historie, that his father
firste sawe the firme lande the firste of Auguste in the yere 1498. But
Gabote made his greate discoverie in the yere 1496. as he testifieth in
his relation above mentioned. And the day of the moneth is also added in
his owne mappe, which is yn the Queenes privie gallorie at Westminster,
the copye whereof was sett oute by Mr. Clemente Adams, and is in many
marchantes houses in London. (M251) In which mappe, in the chapiter of
Newfoundelande, there in Latyn is put downe, besides the yere of our
Lorde, even the very day, which was the day of St. John Baptiste; and the
firste lande which they sawe they called Prima Visa or Prima Vista: and
Mr. Roberto Thorne, in his discourse to Doctor Ley, Kinge Henry the Eights
embassador to Charles the Emperour, affirmeth that his father and one
Hughe Elliott, of Bristoll, were the firste persons that descried the
lande. This case is so clere that the Spaniardes themselves, thoughe full
sore againste their willes, are constrained to yielde unto us therein. For
Franciscus Lopez de Gomera, in the 4. chapiter of his seconde booke of his
Generall Historie of the Indies, confesseth that Sebastian was the firste
discoverer of all the coaste of the West Indies, from 58. degrees of
northerly latitude to the heighte of 38. degrees towardes the
equinoctiall. He whiche broughte moste certeine newes of the contrie and
people of Baccalaos, saieth Gomera, was Sebastian Gabot, a Venesian, which
rigged up ij. shippes at the coste of Kinge Henry the Seaventh of England,
havinge greate desire to traficque for the spices as the Portingales did.
He carried with him CCC. men, and tooke the way towardes Island from
beyonde the C