Page 61 - John Cabot's Landfall, 1497 - "It WAS Cape Breton!"

ISSUE : Issue 70

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1996/6/1

in his History, which was published in 1829, confirmed this by these words: "This island being usually the first land made by vessels from Europe, to any of the Colonies eastward of the Bay of Fundy; and from the common occurrence of vessels be? ing ahead of their reckoning, when steering to the westward, the first news of its propinquity being often given by the roar of its breakers, or the concussion of its rocks; shipwrecks are of frequent occurrence, and few places on the coast of North America more obviously call for the precaution of a light? house." That this region was a natural landfall may also be il? lustrated by Hore's expedition of 1536, which never sighted land until the point of Cape Breton was approached, by the Bonaventure which sailing in 1591 did not see Cape Race, by the Marigold which in 1593 sailed for the Magdalens but fell in with Cape Breton, by Humphrey Gilbert's sailing directions: "...if we shall not happen to meet at Cape Rase, then the place of rendezvous to be at Cape Briton, or the nearest harbour to the westward of Cape Briton." Chabert, a French naval officer who sailed on a scientific expedition in 1750 may also be called as a witness, for of Scatari he said: "The island is the usual landfall for all vessels sailing to Louisbourg," Apart from the fact that this region was a natural landfaU, there is strong documentary evidence in favour of Cape Breton. First of all, the Cosa map locates Cavo descubierto on a course west by compass from Cape Race. Then the Cabot map of 1544 defi? nitely fixes the landfall on Cape Breton Island, and an enlarged photographic copy of this map seems to indicate that the land made was not Cape North but Cape Breton. Moreover, Har- risse, in his first book, appears to have read the meaning of the map and located the landfall at Cape Percy, only 16 miles from Cape Breton, although Cape Breton and not Cape Percy is the eastemmost point, and Scatari island is first made from sea for it stretches farther east. Attempts have been made to support other theories by saying that no signs of Indians would be found on the Atlantic coast of Cape Breton Island and that the land there would hardly fit the contemporaneous accounts. But these attempts have been unsuccessful because the distinct evi? dence of the crew of the Marigold is that Indians were there, as seen in artificial ponds and weirs, and that the fertility of the soil and the richness of vegetation made a most favourable im? pression. Finally, Scatari makes an excellent choice for Cabot's island of St. John • an island lying near the land, according to the legend on the Sebastian Cabot map, discovered on the same day the landfall was made and so named by Cabot; and Pedro Reinel drew it on his map in 1505 with that name. If there are some who would try to show a connexion between the first voyage of Cabot and the names of Newfoundland and Bonavista, there are others who relate that voyage with certain place-names in Cape Breton Island. By means of this relation? ship the name Cape Breton itself may have an English origin. A comparison of Cosa's Mar descubierto por ingleses with 3ie 1514-1520 Portuguese Terra Q Foy Descuberta por Bertomes H''''''''''''''i The monument commemorating Cabot's landfall on the shores of Aspy Bay applied in the saihe geographical position shows that the two differ essentially only in the substitution of "land" for "sea," and especially of Bertomes for ingleses. And the close connex- Real Estate & Insurance "If you're thinidng of selling your home, give us a call." Serving Industrial Cape Breton and North Victoria R. Hickey & Co. p. O. Box 96, North Sydney B2A 3M1 Gerald Brennan, Mgr. "And remember: No sale, no charge." 794-3119 1D THE IbROINTTO-DOMINION BANK Your Bank. Your Way Corner of Charlotte & Pitt Streets P. O. Box 117 Sydney, NS B1P6G9 Phone 567-3610 or 539-6637 • Fax 539-6337 Make a Good First Impression! opy. PRINTING • Letterhead • Envelopes • Invoices Business Cards • Reports • Price Lists • Newsletters • Manuals • Resumes • Purcliase Orders • Menus • Flyers • Brocliures • Tickets • Booklets • DESKTOP PUBLISHING • '562-2122' FAX: 562-7937 • 200 Charlotte St. (near Dorchester St.) • SYDNEY • CENTRES COAST TO COAST • 61

Cape Breton's Magazine