Portuguese map of 1520, declares it to be a country discovered by the
Bretons. It is undoubtedly the oldest French name on any part of North
America. On Gastaldo's map in Mattiolo's Italian translation of
Ptolemy, 1548, the name of Breton is applied both to Nova Scotia and to
the Island of Cape Breton.

19. Winthrop says that Mr. John Rose, who was cast away on Sable Island
about 1633, "saw about eight hundred cattle, small and great, all red,
and the largest he ever saw: and many foxes, wherof some perfect
black."--_Whinthrop's Hist. New Eng._, Boston, 1853, Vol. I. p. 193.

Champlain doubtless obtained his information in regard to the cattle
left upon Sable Island by the Portuguese from the from the report of
Edward Haies on the voyage of Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583:

"Sablon lieth to the seaward of Cape Briton about twenty-five leagues,
whither we were determined to goe vpon intelligence we had of a
Portugal (during our abode in S. Johns) who was himselfe present, when
the Portugals (aboue thirty yeeres past) did put in the same Island
both Neat and Swine to breede, which were since exceedingly multiplied.
This seemed vnto vs very happy tidings, to haue in an Island lying so
neere vnto the maine, which we intended to plant vpon. Such store of
cattell, whereby we might at all times conueniently be relieued of
victuall, and serued of store for breed."--_Edward Haies in Hakluyt's
Voyages_, London, ed. 1810. Vol. III. p. 197.

20. "Loups marins," seals.

21. "The forty poor wretches whom he left on Sable Island found on the
seashore some wrecks of vessels, out of which they built barracks to