GUARDIA - Memorial University of Newfoundland

expedition be reserved for the
crown.
Cabot's letters patent were
granted in March. 1496. but it
was not until a year after the
royal approval that the expedition
was ready for sea. There is no
record of the niggardly Henry being
of any assistance in financing the
voyage. and Cabot had ro look
elsewhere for help.
"The Matthew" Sets Sail
Finally. all preparations were
completed. and on or about the
end of May, 1497. John Cabot
passed out of rhe waters of the
Avon and turned his prow towards
the west while the picruresque
shores of 1 orth Devon faded beyond
his wake. He was in command
of a small vessel called the
Matthew: of about 50 rons. which
carried a crew of 18. all Englishmen
bur one. a Burgundian. It is
thought by some that when the
Matthew sailed from Bristol she
may have been accompanied by a
few other small vessels which
through hope of gain had been induced
to join Cabol. But if this
was so. there can be little doubt
that they must have later become
discouraged by the length of the
voyage and returned to England
leaving the Matthew to face the
western seas alone.
After leaving port. it is said
that Cabot sailed around Ireland.
then towards the north. and finally
set his course towards the mysterious
and dreaded west. As they
sailed on and on over the unknown
waters. what thoughts must have
passed through the minds of this
small company of mariners as they
were carried into the region which
they instinctively regarded with
awe!
It is not positively known
whether Sebastian accompanied this
expedition but it is very likely that
he did. He was then little more
than a mere stripling. and could
have little to do with the planning
or carrying out of this great enterprise.
Regarding the other sons,
Lewis and Sancio. nothing is
known. No chronicle of John
Cabot's voyage has reached us. although
such an account must have
been kept. We are left. therefore,
ATLANTIC GUARDIAN