his efforts. It
is no detraction from the glory of Columbus to say that he was only one
of many eager spirits occupied with new problems of discovery across
the sea. Not the least of these were John and Sebastian Cabot, father
and son. John Cabot, like Columbus, was a Genoese by birth; a long
residence in Venice, however, earned for him in 1476 the citizenship of
that republic. Like many in his time, he seems to have been both a
scientific geographer and a practical sea-captain. At one time he made
charts and maps for his livelihood. Seized with the fever for
discovery, he is said to have begged in vain from the sovereigns of
Spain and Portugal for help in a voyage to the West. About the time of
the great discovery of Columbus in 1492, John Cabot arrived in Bristol.
It may be that he took part in some of the voyages of the Bristol
merchants, before the achievements of Columbus began to startle the
world.

At the close of the fifteenth century the town of Bristol enjoyed a
pre-eminence which it has since lost. It stood second only to London as
a British port. A group of wealthy merchants carried on from Bristol a
lively trade with Iceland and the northern ports of Europe. The town
was the chief centre for an important trade in codfish. Days of fasting
were generally observed at that time; on these the eating of meat was
forbidden by the church, and fish was consequently in great demand. The
merchants of Bristol were keen traders, and were always seeking the
further extension of their trade. Christopher Columbus himself is said
to have made a voyage for the Bristol merchants to Iceland in 1477.
There is even a tale that, before Columbus was known to fame, an
expedition was equipped there in 1480 to seek the 'fabulous islands' of
the Western Sea. Certain it is that the Spanish ambassador in England,
whose business it was to keep his royal master informed of all that was
being done by his rivals, wrote home in 1498: 'It is seven years since
those of Bristol used to send out, every year, a fleet of two, three,
or four caravels to go and search for the Isle of Brazil and the Seven
Cities, according to the fancy of the Genoese.'

We can therefore realize that when Master John Cabot came among the
merchants of this busy town with his plans he found a ready hearing.
Cabot was soon brought to the notice of his august majesty Henry VII of
England. The king had been shortsighted enough to reject overtures made
to him by Bartholom