Primary Source Documents

John Cabot's Discovery of Newfoundland^*

Raimondo de Raimondi de Soncino, an Italian diplomat living in England, sent the Duke of Milan this delightful report of the excitement in London after John Cabot returned in 1497. Cabot had crossed the Atlantic and reached the northern tip of Newfoundland, which he believed to be eastern Asia.

Perhaps amid the numerous occupations of your Excellency, it may not weary you to hear how his Majesty here has gained a part of Asia, without a stroke of the sword. There is in this Kingdom a man of the people, Messer Zoane Caboto [John Cabot] by name, of kindly wit and a most expert mariner. Having observed that the sovereigns first of Portugal and then of Spain had occupied unknown islands, he decided to make a similar acquisition for his Majesty. After obtaining patents that the effective ownership of what he might find should be his, though reserving the rights of the Crown, he committed himself to fortune in a little ship, with eighteen persons. He started from Bristol, a port on the west of this kingdom, passed Ireland, which is still further west, and then bore towards the north, in order to sail to the east.…After having wandered for some time he at length arrived at the mainland, where he hoisted the royal standard, and took possession for the king here; and after taking certain tokens he returned.

This Messer Zoane, as a foreigner and a poor man, would not have obtained credence, had it not been that his companions, who are practically all English and from Bristol, testified that he spoke the truth. This Messer Zoane has the description of the world in a map, and also in a solid sphere, which he has made, and shows where he has been… These same English, his companions, say that they could bring so many fish that this kingdom would have no further need of Iceland… But Messer Zoane has his mind set upon even greater things, because he proposes to keep along the coast from the place at which he touched, more and more towards the east, until he reaches an island which he calls Cipango…where he believes that all the spices of the world have their origin, as well as the jewels.…

He tells this in such a way, and makes everything so plain, that I also feel compelled to believe him.…Before very long they say that his Majesty will equip some ships, and in addition he will give them all the malefactors, and they will go to that country and form a colony. By means of this they hope to make London a more important mart for spices than Alexandria. The leading men in this enterprise are from Bristol, and great seamen, and now they know where to go, say that the voyage will not take more than a fortnight, if they have good fortune after leaving Ireland. I have also spoken with a Burgundian, one of Messer Zoane's companions, who corroborates everything. He wants to go back, because the Admiral, which is the name they give to Messer Zoane, has given him an island. He has given another to his barber, a Genoese by birth, and both consider themselves counts, while my lord the Admiral esteems himself at least a prince

1		What was de Soncino's view of Cabot? Of Cabot's ambitions? Did he believe Cabot's story of discovery?
2		According to de Soncino, what prompted Cabot's explorations?
3		What was the role of the West Country men of Bristol in Cabot's successes? What did the Bristol men hope to gain by Cabot's discoveries?