Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

CABOT, JOHN [GIOVANNI CABOTO] (1450-1...

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V04, Page 923 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

CABOT, See also:JOHN [GIOVANNI CABOTO] (1450-1498) , See also:Italian navigator and discoverer of See also:North See also:America, was See also:born in See also:Genoa, but in 1461 went to live in See also:Venice, of which he became a naturalized See also:citizen in 1476. During one of his trading voyages to the eastern Mediterranean, Cabot paid a visit to See also:Mecca, then the greatest mart in the See also:world for the See also:exchange of the goods of the See also:East for those of the See also:West. On inquiring whence came the spices, perfumes, silks and See also:precious stones bartered there in See also:great quantities, Cabot learned that they were brought by See also:caravan from the north-eastern parts of farther See also:Asia. Being versed in a knowledge of the See also:sphere, it occurred to him that it would be shorter and quicker to bring these goods to See also:Europe straight across the western ocean. First of all, however, a way would have to be found across this ocean from Europe to Asia. Full of this See also:idea, Cabot, about the See also:year 1484, removed with his See also:family to See also:London. His plans were in course of See also:time made known to 922 the leading merchants of See also:Bristol, from which See also:port an extensive See also:trade was carried on already with See also:Iceland. It was decided that an See also:attempt should be made to reach the See also:island of See also:Brazil or that of the Seven Cities, placed on See also:medieval maps to the west of See also:Ireland, and that these should See also:form the first halting-places on the route to Asia by the west. To find these islands vessels were despatched from Bristol during several years, but all in vain. No See also:land of any sort could be seen. Affairs were in this See also:state when in the summer of 1493 See also:news reached See also:England that another Genoese, See also:Christopher See also:Columbus, had set See also:sail westward from See also:Spain and had reached the Indies. Cabot and his See also:friends at once determined to forgo further See also:search for the islands and to push straight on to Asia.

With this end in view application was made to the See also:

king for formal letters patent, which were not issued until See also:March 5, 1496. By these See also:Henry VII. granted to his " well-beloved John Cabot, citizen of Venice, to See also:Lewis, See also:Sebastian and Santius,' sonnes of the said John, full and See also:free authority, leave and See also:power upon theyr own proper See also:costs and charges, to seeke out, discover and finde whatsoever isles, countries, regions or provinces of the See also:heathen and infidels, which before this time have been unknown to all Christians." Merchandise from the countries visited was to be entered at Bristol free of See also:duty, but one-fifth of the See also:net gains was to go to the king. Armed with these See also:powers Cabot set sail from Bristol on Tuesday the 2nd of May 1497, on See also:board a See also:ship called the " See also:Mathew " manned by eighteen men. Rounding Ireland they headed first north and then west. During several See also:weeks they were forced by variable winds to keep an irregular course, although steadily towards the west. At length, after being fifty-two days at See also:sea, at five o'See also:clock on Saturday See also:morning, See also:June 24, they reached the See also:northern extremity of Cape See also:Breton Island. The royal banner was unfurled, and in See also:solemn form Cabot took See also:possession of the See also:country in the name of King Henry VII. The See also:soil being found fertile and the See also:climate temperate, Cabot was convinced he had reached the north-eastern See also:coast of Asia, whence came the silks and precious stones he had seen at Mecca. Cape North was named Cape See also:Discovery, and as the See also:day was the festival of St John the Baptist, St See also:Paul Island, which lies opposite, was called the island of St John. Having taken on board See also:wood and See also:water, preparations were made to return See also:home as quickly as possible. Sailing north, Cabot named Cape See also:Ray, St See also:George's Cape, and christened St See also:Pierre and Miquelon, which then with See also:Langley formed three See also:separate islands, the Trinity See also:group. Hereabout they met great See also:schools of See also:cod, quantities of which were caught by the sailors merely by lowering baskets into the water.

Cape See also:

Race, the last land seen, was named England's Cape. The return voyage was made without difficulty, since the prevailing winds in the North See also:Atlantic are See also:westerly, and on See also:Sunday, the 6th of See also:August, the " Mathew " dropped See also:anchor once more in Bristol See also:harbour. Cabot hastened to See also:Court, and on See also:Thursday the loth of August received from the king £10 for having " found the new isle." Cabot reported that 700 leagues beyond Ireland he had reached the country of the See also:Grand See also:Khan. Although both See also:silk and brazil-wood could be obtained there, he intended on his next voyage to follow the coast southward as far as Cipangu or See also:Japan, then placed near the See also:equator. Once Cipangu had been reached London would become a greater centre for spices than See also:Alexandria. Henry VII. was delighted, and besides granting Cabot a See also:pension of L2o promised him in the See also:spring a See also:fleet of ten See also:ships with which to sail to Cipangu. On the 3rd of See also:February 1498, fresh letters patent were issued, whereby Cabot was empowered to " take at his See also:pleasure VI. englisshe shippes and theym convey and lede to the londe and es of See also:late founde by the seid John." Henry VII. himself also advanced considerable sums of See also:money to various members of the expedition. As success seemed assured, it was expected the returns would be high. In the spring Cabot visited See also:Lisbon and See also:Seville, to secure the services of men who had sailed along the See also:African coast with ' Nothing further is known of Lewis and Santius. See also:Cam and See also:Diaz or to the Indies with Columbus. At Lisbon he met a certain Joao Fernandes, called Llavrador, who about the year 1492 appears to have made his way from Iceland to See also:Green- land. Cabot, on learning from Fernandes that See also:part of Asia, as they supposed See also:Greenland to be, See also:lay so near Iceland, determined to return by way of this country.

On reaching Bristol he laid his plans accordingly. See also:

Early in May the expedition, which consisted of two ships and 300 men, See also:left Bristol. Several vessels in the See also:habit of trading to Iceland accompanied them. Off Ireland a See also:storm forced one of these to return, b'ut the See also:rest of the fleet proceeded on its way along the parallel of 58°. Each day the ships were carried northward by the Gulf Stream. Early in June Cabot reached the east coast of Greenland, and as Fernandes was the first who had told him of this country he named it the Labrador's Land. In the See also:hope of finding a passage Cabot proceeded northward along the coast. As he advanced, the See also:cold became more intense and the icebergs thicker and larger. It was also noticed that the land trended eastward. As a result on the See also:lath of June in See also:latitude 67° 30' the crews mutinied and refused to proceed farther in that direction. Cabot had no alternative but to put his ships about and look for a passage towards the See also:south. Rounding Cape Farewell he explored the See also:southern coast of Greenland and then made his way a certain distance up the west coast.

Here again his progress was checked by icebergs, whereupon a course was set towards the west. See also:

Crossing See also:Davis Strait Cabot reached our See also:modern See also:Baffin Land in 66°. Judging this to be the See also:Asiatic mainland, he set off southward in search of Cipangu. South of See also:Hudson Strait a little bartering was done with the See also:Indians, but these could offer nothing in exchange but furs. Our strait of Belle Isle was mistaken for an See also:ordinary See also:bay, and See also:Newfoundland was regarded by Cabot as the See also:main See also:shore itself. Rounding Cape Race he visited once more the region explored in the previous summer, and then proceeded to follow the coast of our Nova See also:Scotia See also:mid New England in search of Cipangu. He made his way as far south as the See also:thirty-eighth parallel, when the See also:absence of all signs of eastern See also:civilization and the See also:low state of his stores forced him to abandon all hope of reaching Cipangu on this voyage. Accordingly the ships were put about and a course set for England, where they arrived safely late in the autumn of 1498. Not See also:long after his return John Cabot died. His son, SEBASTIAN CABOT (1476—1557),2 is not independently heard of until May 1512, when he was paid twenty shillings " for making a carde of See also:Gascoigne and Guyenne," whither he accompanied the See also:English See also:army sent that year by Henry VIII. to aid his See also:father-in-See also:law See also:Ferdinand of See also:Aragon against the See also:French. Since Ferdinand and his daughter See also:Joanna were contemplating the See also:dispatch of an expedition from See also:Santander to explore Newfoundland, Sebastian was questioned about this coast by the king's councillors. As a result Ferdinand summoned him in See also:September 1512 to Logrono, and on the 3oth of See also:October appointed him a See also:captain in the See also:navy at a See also:salary of 50,000 maravedis a year.

A See also:

letter was also written to the See also:Spanish See also:ambassador in England to help Cabot and his family to return to Spain, with the result that in March 1514 he was again back at Court discussing with Ferdinand the proposed expedition to Newfound-land. Preparations were made for him to set sail in March 1516; but the See also:death of the king in See also:January of that year put an end to the undertaking. His services were retained by See also:Charles V., and on the 5th of February 1518 Cabot was named See also:Pilot See also:Major and See also:official examiner of pilots. In the See also:winter of 1520—1521 Sebastian Cabot returned to England 2 The See also:dates are conjectural. See also:Richard See also:Eden (Decades of the Newe Worlde, f. 2J5) says Sebastian told him that when four years old he was taken by his father to Venice, and returned to England " after certeyne yeares: whet-by he was thought to have See also:bin born in Venice "; See also:Stow (See also:Annals, under year 1498) styles " Sebastian Caboto, a Genoas sonne, See also:borne in See also:Bristow." Galvano and See also:Herrera also give England the See also:honour of his nativity. See also Nicholls, Remarkable See also:Life of Sebastian Cabot (1869), a eulogistic See also:account, with which may be contrasted Henry Harrisse's John Cabot and his son Sebastian (1896). and while there was offered by See also:Wolsey the command of five vessels which Henry VIII. intended to despatch to Newfoundland. 'Being reproached by a See also:fellow Venetian with having done nothing for his own country, Cabot refused, and on reaching Spain entered into See also:secret negotiations with the See also:Council of Ten at Venice. It was agreed that as soon as an opportunity offered Cabot should come to Venice' and lay his plans before the Signiory. The See also:conference of See also:Badajoz took up his time in 1524, and on the 4th of March 1525 he was appointed See also:commander of an expedition fitted out at Seville " to discover the See also:Moluccas, Tarsis, See also:Ophir, Cipango and See also:Cathay." The three vessels set sail in See also:April, and by June were off the coast of Brazil and on their way to the Straits of See also:Magellan. Near the La See also:Plata See also:river Cabot found three Spaniards who had formed part of De See also:Solis's expedition of 1515.

These men gave such glowing accounts of the riches of the country watered by this river that Cabot was at length induced, partly by their descriptions and in part by the casting away of his See also:

flag-ship, to forgo the search for Tarsis and Ophir and to enter the La Plata, which was reached in February 1527. All the way up the See also:Parana Cabot found the Indians friendly, but those on the See also:Paraguay proved so hostile that the attempt to reach the mountains, where the See also:gold and See also:silver were procured, had to be given up. On reaching Seville in August 1530, Cabot was condemned to four years' banishment to See also:Oran in See also:Africa, but in June 1533 he was once more reinstated in his former See also:post of Pilot Major, which he continued to fill until he again removed to England. As early as 1538 Cabot tried to obtain employment under Henry VIII., and it is possible he was the Sevillian pilot who was brought to London by the king in 1541. Soon after the See also:accession of See also:Edward VI., however, his friends induced the Privy Council to advance money for his removal to England, and on the 5th of January 1549 the king granted him a pension of 1'166, 13s. 4d. On Charles V. objecting to this proceeding, the Privy Council, on the 21st of April 155o, made See also:answer that since " Cabot of himself refused to go either into Spayne or to the emperour, no See also:reason or equitie wolde that he shulde be forced or compelled to go against his will." A fresh application to See also:Queen See also:Mary on the 9th of September 1553 likewise proved of no avail. On the 26th of June 1550 Cabot received 1200 " by waie of the kinges Majesties rewarde," but it is not clear whether this was for his services in putting down the privileges of the See also:German Merchants of the See also:Steelyard or for See also:founding the See also:company of See also:Merchant Adventurers incorporated on the 18th of See also:December 1551. Of this company Cabot was made See also:governor for life. Three ships were sent out in May 1553 to search for a passage to the East by the north-east. Two of the vessels were caught in the See also:ice near Arzina and the crews frozen to death. See also:Chancellor's See also:vessel alone reached the See also:White Sea, whence her captain made his way overland to See also:Moscow.

He returned to England in the summer of 1554 and was the means of opening up a very considerable trade with See also:

Russia. Vessels were again despatched to Russia in 1555 and 1556. On the departure of the " Searchthrift " in May 1556, " the See also:good old See also:gentleman See also:Master Cabot gave to the poor most liberal See also:alms, wishing them to pray for the good See also:fortune and prosperous success of the ` Searchthrift '; and then, at the sign of the Christopher, he and his friends banqueted and made them that were in the company good cheer; and for very joy that he had to see the towardness of our intended discovery, he entered into the See also:dance himself among the rest of the See also:young and lusty company." On the arrival of King See also:Philip II. in England Cabot's pension was stopped on the 26th of May 1557, but three days later Mary had it renewed. The date of Cabot's death has not been definitely discovered. It is supposed that he died within the year. See G. P. Winship, Cabot"Bibliography, with an See also:Introductory See also:Essay on the Careers of the Cabots (London, 1900) ; and H. P. See also:Biggar, " The Voyages of the Cabots to North America and Greenland,"in the Revue Hispanique, tome x. pp. 485-593 (See also:Paris, 1903). (H.

P.

End of Article: CABOT, JOHN [GIOVANNI CABOTO] (1450-1498)

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
CABOT, GEORGE (1751–1823) 		[next]
CABOTAGE

Site © 2006 - Net Industries