about fiue of the clocke early in the morning. This land he called Prima
vista, that is to say, First seene, because as I suppose it was that part
whereof they had the first sight from sea. That Island which lieth out
before the land, he called the Island of S. Iohn vpon this occasion, as I
thinke, because it was discouered vpon the day of Iohn the Baptist. The
inhabitants of this Island vse to weare beasts skinnes, and haue them in as
great estimation as we haue our finest garments. In their warres they vse
bowes, arrowes, pikes, darts, woodden clubs, and slings. The soile is
barren in some places, and yeeldeth litle fruit, but it is full of white
beares, and stagges farre greater then ours. It yeeldeth plenty of fish,
and those very great, as seales, and those which commonly we call salmons:
there are soles also aboue a yard in length: but especially there is great
abundance of that kinde of fish which the Sauages call baccalaos. In the
same Island also there breed hauks, but they are so blacke that they are
very like to rauens, as also their partridges, and egles, which are in like
sort blacke.

* * * * *

A discourse of Sebastian Cabot touching his discouery of part of the West
India out of England in the time of king Henry the seuenth, vsed to
Galeacius Butrigarius the Popes Legate in Spaine, and reported by the
sayd Legate in this sort.

[Sidenote: This discourse is taken out of the second volume of the voyages
of Baptista Ramusius.[14]] Doe you not vnderstand sayd he (speaking to
certaine Gentlemen of Venice) how to passe to India toward the Northwest,
as did of late a citizen of Venice, so valiant a man, and so well practised
in all things pertaining to nauigations, and the science of Cosmographie,
that at this present he hath not his like in Spaine, insomuch that for his