2 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND 
     
    
   
   
    
     together with his son Sebastian. Henry, being resolved to enter 
     
     this new field of adventure, engaged the Cabots to sail to the 
     
     north, west and south, under the English flag and make dis- 
     
     coveries of isles, regions and territories, and set up the English 
     
     Standard in all such countries they might find. On the 25th 
     
     March, 1497, John Cabot and his son Sebastian set sail from 
     
     Bristol on board the King’s ship called the Mat/rem. They 
     
     were accompanied by three or four vessels belonging to the 
     
     merchants of that city, laden with goods for barter. Holding 
     
     his course westerly through seas unknown, early one morning 
     
     in June—greatly to the joy of the explorers—~land was sighted, 
     
     to which was given the name of “ Prima Vesta.” On the same 
     
     day, the 24th, Cabot landed upon an Island lying opposite 
     
     the mainland, on which he bestowed the name of St. John, but 
     
     the sailors of the ship nicknamed it New-found-land, which 
     
     name. it is needless to say, it has borne to this day. 
     
    
   
   
    
     On landing upon the Island it was found to be inhabited by 
     
     a tribe of red, roving savages, who were dressed in skins of wild 
     
     animals. Bears, carriboo, foxes, wolves, martens, beavers; like- 
     
     wise, hawks, partridges, and eagles, were numerous, while the 
     
     surrounding waters abounded in many kinds of fish, and seals 
     
     were abundant along its shores. After exploring the coast 
     
     southward for some distance, Cabot returned to England with 
     
     two of the natives, arriving there during August following. 
     
     Thus Cabot was the first navigator to cross the Atlantic and 
     
     open the way to North America, for which performance he 
     
     received the honor of knighthood, and was presented with the 
     
     magnificent sum of ten pounds from the king’s Treasury. 
     
    
   
   
    
     With vast ambitious ideas in respect to advantages which 
     
     might be derived from those regions, as well as the hope of 
     
     finding a north-west passage to India, a second expedition to 
     
     the New World was organized—it consisted of five ships, and 
     
     had on board three hundred adventurers ,' however, before its 
     
     completion Sir John Cabot died, consequently the command 
     
     was given to his son Sebastian, who at this period was twenty- 
     
     two years of age, having been born in England during the year. 
     
     1476, and was celebrated for his daring enterprise and nauti- 
     
     cal experience. 
     
    

    
     Sebastian Cabot sailed from England in 1498; having reached 
     
    
   
   
    
     the coast of St. Johns, Newfoundland, he directed the course of 
     
     his ships northward through seas which had not been visited