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Page 19
"Having supplied ourselves with every thing necessary, we departed,
on the sixth [Footnote: According to the Archivio Storico Italiano,
and not the FIFTH, as given in N. Y. Hist. Coll.] of May, from this
port [where they had remained fifteen days] and SAILED ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY LEAGUES, KEEPING SO NEAR TO THE COAST AS NEVER TO LOSE IT
FROM OUR SIGHT; the nature of the country appeared much the same as
before, but the MOUNTAINS were a little higher and all in appearance
RICH IN MINERALS. WE DID NOT STOP TO LAND, as the weather was very
favorable for pursuing our voyage, and the country presented no
variety. THE SHORE STRETCHED TO THE EAST, and fifty leagues beyond
more to the north, where we found a more elevated country full of
very thick woods of fir trees, cypresses and the like, indicative of
a cold climate. The people were entirely different from the others
we had seen, whom we had found kind and gentle, but these were so
rude and barbarous that we were unable by any signs we could make to
hold communication with them."
This is all that is mentioned in regard to the entire coast of New
England and Nova Scotia, embracing a distance of eight hundred miles
according to this computation, but in fact much more. It is here
stated, however, distinctly, that from the time of leaving the
harbor, near the island of Louise, they kept close to the land,
which ran in an EASTERLY direction, and CONSTANTLY IN SIGHT OF IT,
for one hundred and fifty leagues. This they could not have done if
that harbor were on any part of the coast, west of Massachusetts
bay. If they sailed from Narraganset bay, or Buzzard's bay, or from
any harbor on that coast, east of Long Island, they would in the
course of twenty leagues at the furthest, in an easterly direction,
have reached the easterly extremity of the peninsula of Cape Cod,
and keeping close to the shore would have been forced for one
hundred and fifty miles, in a northerly and west of north direction,
and thence along the coast of Maine northeasterly a further distance
of one hundred and fifty miles, and been finally locked in the bay
of Fundy. It is only by running from Cape Sable along the shores of
Nova Scotia that this course and distance, in sight of the land, can
be reconciled with the actual direction of the coast; and this makes
the opening between Cape Cod and Cape Sable the large bay intended
in the letter. But this opening of eighty leagues in width, could
never have been seen by the writer of it; and nothing could more
conclusively prove his ignorance of the coast, than his statements
that from the river among the hills, for the distance of ninety-five
leagues easterly to the harbor in 41 Degrees 40' N. and from thence
for a further distance of one hundred and fifty leagues, also
EASTERLY, the land was always in sight.
[Illustration with caption: ] CAPE HENRY AND ENTRANCE INTO THE
CHESAPEAKE. Lighthouse, with lantern 129 feet above the sea, bearing
W. N. W. 1/2 W., three leagues distant.
V.
III. CAPE BRETON AHD THE SOUTHERLY COAST OF NEWFOUNDLAND, HERE
CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED, WERE KNOWN PREVIOUSLY. PERVERSION
OF THE TEXT OF THE LETTER BY RAMUSIO.
By the two courses and distances just mentioned, the explorers are
brought first to the island of Cape Breton, and then to the cape of
that name, where the coast first takes a decided turn, from its
easterly direction, to the north, and forms the westerly side of the
strait leading into the gulf of St. Lawrence. This cape, according
to the letter, is distant easterly one hundred and fifty, and fifty,
leagues from the harbor in the great bay, distances which, for
reasons already mentioned, are to be regarded as estimates only, but
which taken exactly would have carried them beyond Cape Race in
Newfoundland. They are to be considered, however, as properly
limited to the turn of the coast before mentioned, as that is a
governing circumstance in the description. Beyond this point, north,
and east, the letter presents the claim to the discovery in another
aspect. Thus far it relates to portions of the coast confessedly
unknown before its date. But from Cape Breton, in latitude 46
Degrees N. to latitude 50 Degrees N. on the east side of
Newfoundland, it pretends to the discovery of parts, which were in
fact already known; and it makes this claim circumstances which
prove it was so known by the writer, if the letter were written as
pretended. Having described their attempts at intercourse with the
natives at Cape Breton, the narrative concludes the description of
the coast with the following paragraph.
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