Mariners of good experience, by whose forwardnesse I doe reioyce in the
fruit of my labours, and rest with the charge of this office, as you
see.[15]

* * * * *

The foresaide Baptista Ramusius in his preface to the thirde volume of the
Nauigations writeth thus of Sebastian Cabot.

In the latter part of this volume are put certaine relations of Iohn de
Vararzana, Florentine, and of a great captaine a Frenchman, and the two
voyages of Iaques Cartier a Briton, who sailed vnto the land situate in 50.
degrees of latitude to the North, which is called New France, which landes
hitherto are not throughly knowen, whether they doe ioyne with the firme
lande of Florida and Noua Hispania, or whether they bee separated and
diuided all by the Sea as Ilands: and whether that by that way one may goe
by Sea vnto the countrey of Cathaia. [Sidenote: The great probabilitie of
this North-west passage.] As many yeeres past it was written vnto mee by
Sebastian Cabota our Countrey man a Venetian, a man of great experience,
and very rare in the art of Nauigation, and the knowledge of Cosmographie,
who sailed along and beyond this land of New France, at the charge of King
Henry the seuenth king of England: and he aduertised mee, that hauing
sailed a long time West and by North, beyond those Ilands vnto the Latitude
of 67. degrees and an halfe, vnder the North pole, and at the 11. day of
Iune finding still the open Sea without any manner of impediment, he
thought verily by that way to haue passed on still the way to Cathaia,
which is in the East, and would haue done it, if the mutinie of the
ship-master and Mariners had not hindered him and made him to returne
homewards from that place. But it seemeth that God doeth yet still reserue
this great enterprise for some great prince to discouer this voyage of