t the vse of
reason. He also saieth there is great plentie of Beares in those regions
which vse to eate fish: for plunging themselues into the water, where they
perceiue a multitude of these fishes to lie, they fasten their clawes in
their scales, and so draw them to land and eate them, so (as he saith) the
Beares being thus satisfied with fish, are not noisome to men. [Sidenote:
Copper found in many places by Cabote.] Hee declareth further, that in many
places of these Regions he saw great plentie of Copper among the
inhabitants. Cabot is my very friend, whom I vse familiarly, and delight to
haue sometimes keepe mee company in mine owne house. For being called out
of England by the commandement of the Catholique King of Castile, after the
death of King Henry the seuenth of that name king of England, he was made
one of our council and Assistants, as touching the affaires of the new
Indies, looking for ships dayly to be furnished for him to discouer this
hid secret of Nature.

* * * * *

The testimonie of Francis Lopez de Gomara a Spaniard, in the fourth Chapter
of the second Booke of his generall history of the West Indies concerning
the first discouerie of a great part of the West Indies, to wit, from 58.
to 38. degrees of latitude, by Sebastian Cabota out of England.

He which brought most certaine newes of the countrey and people of
Baccalaos, saith Gomara, was Sebastian Cabote a Venetian, which rigged vp
two ships at the cost of K. Henry the 7. of England, hauing great desire to
traffique for the spices as the Portingalls did. He carried with him 300.
men, and tooke the way towards Island from beyond the Cape of Labrador,
vntill he found himselfe in 58. degrees and better. He made relation that
in the moneth of Iuly it was so cold, and the ice so great, that hee durst
not passe any further: that the dayes were long, in a maner without any
night, and for that short night that they had, it was very cleare. Cabot
feeling the cold, turned towards the West, refreshing himselfe at
Baccalaos: and afterwards he sayled along the coast vnto 38. degrees, and
from thence he shaped his course to returne into England.

* * * * *

A note of Sebastian Cabots[17] first discouerie of part of the Indies taken
out of the latter part of Robert Fabians Chronicle[18] not hitherto
printed, which is in the custodie of M. Iohn Stow[19] a diligent
preseruer of Antiq