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It was the original intention of the Society to limit its inqui- ries and researches in foreign archives to the voyages and dis- coveries which related particularly to our territory, and to the
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PREFACE.
first efforts to colonize and bring it forward into the line of set- tlement and civilization. But as the subject was investigated, it grew in importance, until we were carried back for an initial point, to the penumbra of our history, in the earliest known authentic records of American discovery. And we could not but think that a carefully prepared summary of the voyages of the Northmen to the Gulf of Maine, and the later voyages along its coast in the sixteenth century, would be an appropriate and interesting introduction to the history of its actual and perma- nent colonization.
Our Society had been encouraged to undertake the task, whose results are partially contained in the present volume, by the successful example of other historical societies. Those of Georgia, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, and others, aided by their respective governments, had pursued their investiga- tions into the musty archives of the State and colonial depart- ments of Great Britain, and had brought forth from them treas- ures of great value, long hidden, and unrevealed even to their possessors. Perhaps it is not too much to say that it was owing to the discovery of valuable documents revealed by the eager curiosity and persevering search of our American scholars, that a change was effected in the policy of the British government, by which these treasures, long neglected and carefully secluded from observation and use by their jealous guardians, were at length thrown open, and the government itself, becoming aware of their importance, undertook to arrange, classify, and calen- dar them, aud furnish printed abstracts to the public. These valuable collections are thus made available to the cause of his- tory, and have largely contributed to rectify errors and to fur- nish new facts for the illustration of the early and obscure periods of our history.
In the course of the researches undertaken for our Historical Society, Dr. Woods obtained possession of an unpublished man- uscript of Richard Hakluyt, the ardent patron and recorder of American discovery ; in which, as early as 1584, he urged upon
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PREFACE.
Queen Elizabeth with great earnestness and force, the prosecu- tion of colonization upon our coasts. This interesting and valu- able document, containing in the original draft sixty-two and a half large folio pages, will form part of a second volume of our Documentary History, to be published in the course of the present year.
It is with no unworthy pride that the Maine Historical Soci- ety now presents to the public this, their first documentary vol- ume, richly freighted with rare and authentic materials, as a valuable contribution to American history.
I cannot close these introductory remarks without tendering my grateful acknowledgments to the Rev. Edward Ballard, D. D., Secretary of the Maine Historical Society, for his very valuable aid in preparing this volume for the press. His wide historical researches, and critical judgment, have supplemented my many deficiencies. The Index, carefully prepared and arranged by him, gives additional value to the volume, and will be cordially welcomed by historical students.
WILLIAM WILLIS.
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A HISTORY
OF THE
DISCOVERY OF THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA,
PARTICULARLY THE COAST OF MAINE;
FROM THE NORTHMEN IN 990,
TO THE
CHARTER OF GILBERT IN 1578.
BY J. G. KOHL, OF BREMEN, GERMANY.
ILLUSTRATED BY COPIES OF THE EARLIEST MAPS AND CHARTS.
L'ensemble des faits, auquel nous donnons le nom d'histoire n'est qu'une portion-portion encore mutilée et rompue-des annales du genre humain. WALCKENAER.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
INTRODUCTION,
. 17
CHAPTER I.
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE GULF AND COAST OF MAINE.
1. Introductory Remarks, .
·
. 31
2. General Configuration of the Continent of North America, 32
3. The four Great Gulfs of the East Coast of North America, 33
4. Name of the Gulf between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia, 35
5. Size and General Configuration of the Gulf of Maine, 36
6. Soundings, 38
7. The Fishing Banks and Shoals, 39
8. Currents, . 41
9. Tiles, 43
10. Climate, Temperature, Winds, Fogs, . 44
11. Deviation of the Magnetic Needle, 47
12. Capes, Headlands, Peninsulas, Indentations, . 47
1. Cape Cod, 49
2. Cape Ann, 50
3. Cape Elizabeth, .
4. Cape Sable,
13. Islands, 52
14. Harbors, Bays, and Inlets, 53
15. Rivers, 54
CHAPTER II.
DISCOVERIES OF THE NORTHMEN IN NORTH-EASTERN AMER- ICA DURING THE MIDDLE AGES.
1. Introductory Remarks, . 57
2. Discovery of Iceland and Greenland, 60
3. First Discovery of New England by Biarne, 62 .
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51
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CONTENTS.
4. Voyages of Leif, Erik's Son, and First Settlement in "Vinland" (New England), . 63
5. Voyages and Discoveries of Thorwald, Erik's Son, in " Vinland,". 66
6. Unsuccessful Attempt of Thorstein, Erik's Son, to reach "Vin- land " again, 70
7. Voyage of Thorfinn Karlsefne to "Vinland," and a New Settle- ment effected there by him, ·
70
8. Expeditions from Greenland and Iceland to " Vinland," subse- quent to those of Thorfinn Karlsefne, . .
82 9. New England considered by the Northmen to be a part of Eu- . rope, . . 85 . 10. Reminiscences and Traces of the Northmen among the Indians of New England. . 88
11. Voyages of the Venetians, Zeni, in the northern parts of the At- lantic Ocean at the end of the Fourteenth Century, 92 The Sea-chart of the Zeni, 97
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER II. Charts for the Northmen.
1. Map, No. 2, of the North-Atlantic Ocean, drawn by the Icelander Sigurdus Stephanius, in 1570, 107
2. Map, No. 3, of the North-Atlantic Ocean, drawn by the Icelander Gudbrandus Torlacius, in 1606, 109
CHAPTER III.
ENGLISH TRADING EXPEDITIONS FROM BRISTOL, AND OTHER ENGLISH PORTS, TOWARD THE NORTH-WEST, PRINCIPALLY TO ICELAND, DURING THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTU- RIES .- JOHN OF KOLNO .- COLUMBUS, . 111
CHAPTER IV.
EXPEDITIONS OF JOHN AND SEBASTIAN CABOT TO NORTH- EASTERN AMERICA, IN THE YEARS 1497, 1498.
1. Voyage of John and Sebastian Cabot in the year 1497, . 121
2. Voyage of Sebastian Cabot in 1408, 135
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER IV. Charts for the Voyages of the Cabots.
1. Map, No. 4, of the Ocean and Islauds between Western Europe and Eastern Asia, from the Globe of Martin Behaim, in 1492, . 147
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11
. CONTENTS.
2. Map, No. 5, of the East Coast of North America, by Juan de la Cosa, in 1500, 151
3. Chart, No. 6, of the New World, by Johann Ruysch, 1508, . 156
4. Map, No. 7, of North America, from the Globe of Johann Schoner, 1520, 158
CHAPTER V.
EXPEDITIONS OF GASPAR AND MIGUEL DE CORTEREAL TO THE NORTH-EASTERN COAST OF AMERICA, IN THE YEARS 1500- 1503.
1. Introductory Remarks, 164
2. First Voyage of Gaspar Cortereal, in 1500, . 166
3. Gaspar Cortereal's Second Voyage, in 1501, 169
4. Searching Voyage of Miguel Cortereal, in 1502, . 171 .
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER V. Charts for the Cortereal Voyages.
1. Portuguese Chart, No. 8, of the Coasts of Newfoundland, Labra- dor, and Greenland, about 1504, 174
2. Chart, No. 9, of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Greenland, by Pedro Reinel, made about 1505, . . 177
3. Portuguese Chart, No. 10, of Florida, Nova Scotia, Newfound- land, Labrador, and Greenland, made about 1520, .
179
CHAPTER VI.
OFFICIAL AND OTHER VOYAGES, AND SEVERAL PROJECTS OF DISCOVERY FROM ENGLAND, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND FRANCE, SUBSEQUENT TO THE EXPEDITIONS OF THE CABOIS AND COR- TEREALS.
1. Two Patents of Henry VII. of England, to Navigators, in 1501, 1502 .- English Voyages to Newfoundland in the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, . 183
2. Portuguese Fishermen on the Newfoundland Banks, 187
3. Voyages to Newfoundland proposed by Juan Dornelos, Juan de Agramonte, and Sebastian Cabot, in 1500, 1511, and 1315, . 192
4. French Voyages to the North-east of America, after Cabot and Cortereal, 199 .
5. An English Voyage to the North-west, said to have been made under the command of Sebastian Cabot and Sir Thomas Pert, in 1517, 206
1.
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CONTENTS.
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER VI.
Charts for the first French Discoveries in " Terre Nueve."
1. Map, No. 11, of New France, composed by the Italian Cosmog- rapher, Jacomo di Gastaldi, in 1550, . 226
2. Map, No. 12, of "Tierra Nueva," by G. Ruscelli, 1561, 233
CHAPTER VII.
SPANISH EXPEDITIONS TO THE COAST OF FLORIDA, FROM COLUMBUS TO AYLLON, FROM 1492 TO 1520.
1. Introductory Remarks, . 236
2. Columbus and the East Coast of the United States, 237
3. Expedition of Ponce de Leon from Porto Rico to the East Coast of Florida, in 1513, 240 ·
4. Voyage of Antonio de Alaminos, from Vera Cruz through the Ba- hama Channel to Spain, in 1519, . 243
5. The First Expedition of Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon to Chicora (the Coast of Carolina), in 1520, . 245 ·
CHAPTER VIII.
EXPEDITIONS TO THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA UNDER THE FRENCH, BY VERRAZANO,-THE SPANIARDS, BY GOMEZ,- AND THE ENGLISH, BY RUT.
1. Expedition of Giovanni da Verrazano, in 1524, . 249
2. Expedition of Estevan Gomez along the East Coast of North America, in 1525, . 271
3. Expedition of two English ships, the Mary of Guilford, and the Samson, under the command of John Rut, 1527, 281
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER VIII.
I. Charts for Verrazano.
1. Map, No. 13, of North America, by Michael Lok, in 1582, 290
2. Map, No. 14, of North America, by Baptista Agnese, 1536, . 292
3. Map, No. 15, Four Sketches, a, b, c, d, of North America, by differ- ent authors, in 1530-1544, 296
II. Charts for Gomez.
1. Chart, No. 16, of the East Coast of North America, from a Map of the World, by Diego Ribero, in 1520, 299
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CONTENTS.
2. Chart of the East Coast of North America, by Alonzo de Chaves, in 1536, and Oviedo's Description of the Coast, in 1537, . . 307
3. Map, No. 17, Sketches 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, of the East Coast of the
United States, by different authors of the Sixteenth Century, . 315
CHAPTER IX.
FRENCH EXPEDITIONS TO CANADA, IN 1534-1543, AND HORE'S VOYAGE, 1536.
1. First Voyage of Jacques Cartier to the Gulf and River of St. Law- rence, in 1534, . 320
2. Second Voyage of Jacques Cartier to the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence, in 1535, · , 329
3. Voyage of Master Hore, and other Englishmen, to Cape Breton and Newfoundland, in 1536, 337
4. Expedition of Jean François de la Rogue de Roberval and Jacques Cartier to Canada, in 1540 and 1543, . . 340
APPENDAGE TO CHAPTER IX.
Charts for Cartier and Roberval.
1. Chart, No. 18a, of Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, by Gaspar Viegas, 1534, 318
2. Chart, No. 18, on Canada and the East Coast of the United States, from a Map of the World, made in 1543, 351
3. Chart, No. 19, of the East Coast of North America, from the Atlas of N. Vallard de Dieppe, 1543, 354 .
4. Engraved Map of the World, No. 20, said to have been made by Sebastian Cabot in 1544,-and on the Voyage said to have been made by John and Sebastian Cabot in 1494, . 358
5. Chart, No. 21, of the North-east of North America, by Diego Ho- mem, 1558, . 377
6. Chart. No. 22, of the East Coast of North America, from a Map of the World, by G. Mercator, in 1569, 384
CHAPTER X.
CONTINUATION OF THE SPANISH EXPEDITIONS ALONG THE COAST OF FLORIDA.
1. Expedition of Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon to Chicora (Carolina), in 1528, . 394
2. Expeditions of Fernando de Soto, Diego Maldonado, and Gomez Arias, 1353-1543, 402
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI.
THE EXPEDITIONS UNDER RIBAULT AND LAUDONNIERE TO FLOR- IDA, AND THE SPANISH AND ENGLISH UNDERTAKINGS CON- NECTED WITH THEMI, IN 1502-1574.
1. The time between De Soto and Ribault, including Thevet's De- scription of Maine, .
413
2. First Exploring Expedition of Captain Jean Ribault from Harre de Grace to the East Coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Caro- lina, in 1562, . 421
3. The Fate of the French Settlement at Port Royal, 1562-1563,
432
4. Second Expedition of the French to Florida under Captain Rene de Laudonnière, in 1564, 43-
5. Voyage of Captain John Hawkins along the Coast of North America, from Florida to Newfoundland, in 1565, 440
6. Third Expedition of the French to Florida under command of Jean Ribault, in 1563, . 447
7. Expeditions and Surveys made under Don Pedro Menendez de Avila, on the East Coast of Florida, in 1565-1567, 455
8. French Expedition under Dominique de Gourgues to Florida, in 1567-1568, 462
9. Spanish Survey of the East Coast of Florida, in 1573, . 467
CHAPTER XII.
CONCLUSION AND RECAPITULATION.
1. Agency of the Northinen, 477
2. Agency of the English, 478
3. Agency of the Portuguese, 482
4. Agency of the Spaniards, 484
5. Agency of the French, . 487
6. Agency of the Italians, 490
7. Agency of the Germans, 493
8. Agency of the Netherlanders, 496
APPENDIX, 499
Notice, 501
Letter of M. D'Avezac, 502
INDEX, 515
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LIST OF MAPS.
PAGE
I. NORTH ATLANTIC, BY THE ZENI, Italian, 1400, 97
II. NORTH ATLANTIC, BY STEPHANIUS, Icelander, 1570, 107 III. NORTH ATLANTIC, BY TORLACIUS, Icelander, 1606, . 109
IV. BY MARTIN BEHAIM, German, 1492, 147
V. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY JUAN DE LA COSA, Spanish. 150 . 151
VI. NEW WORLD, BY JOHANN RUTSCH, German, 1508, 156 . VII. NORTH AMERICA. BY JOHANN SCHONER, German, 1520, 158 VIII. NORTH-EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, ANONYMOUS, Portuguese, 1504. 174 ·
IX. NORTH-EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY PEDRO REI- .
NEL, Portoquese, 1505, . 177
X. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, ANONYMOUS, Portu- THE80, 1520 .. .
. . 179
XI. NEW FRANCE, BY GASTALDI, Italian, 1550, 226
XIL TIERRA NUEVA, BY RUSCELLI, Italian, 1561, 233
XIII. NORTH AMERICA, BY MICHAEL LOK, English, 1582,
290
XIV. AMERICA. DY AGNESE, Italian, 1536, .
202
XV. NORTH AMERICA (FOUR SKETCHES), 1530-1544, 296 XVI. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY RIBERO, Spanish, 1520. . 299
XVII. EAST COAST (SEVEN SKETCHES), .
315
XVIIIA. THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, ETC., BY VIEGAS, 1334, . 348
XVIII. CANADA AND EAST COAST OF UNITED STATES, ANONY- MOTS, French, 1543, . 351
XIX. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY VALLARD, French, 1.343, .
354
. XX. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY SEBASTIAN CA- DOT (?). Spanish, 1344. . 358
. . . . · XXI. NORTH-EAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY HOMEM, Portu-
·
377
AMI. EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY MERCATOR, Ger-
384
ERRATA.
Page 37, line 12 from bot., for 'eastern' read ' western.'
33. 8 top, " 'Bayo ' read 'Baye.' 48, " 9.19 for 'indentated ' read "indented.'
= 49, 9 insert 'southern ' before ' entrance.'
49. 1 bot., for ' Riffs ' read 'Reefs.'
" 52, 1 " 'islands' read 'inlets.'
55,
5
" " 'Piscataquis' read ' Piscataqua.'
64, "
11 top, for 'they ' read 'and.'
" 215, paging, for ' 115' read '215.'
" 228, line 18 from top, for 'Jean' read 'Jacques.'
# 233, 17 bot. " 'Terra' read 'Tierra.'
" 285, 20 " 'Chan ' read ' Khan.'
" 293, 2.3 " ' coniectures ' read ' conjectures.'
" 359,
12 " ' defro' read ' de fro.'
" 375, 9 bot. " 'merc hant' read ' merchant.'
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INTRODUCTION.
THE Historical Society of the State of Maine honored me, in the month of March of this year, with an invitation to write for them a volume on the history of the discovery of the coast of Maine, which was to be published in the " Collections" of that Society, during the present year.
The volume was to begin with the history of the earliest discoveries made by Europeans on the east coast of North America, in the elev- enth century, and proceed with the history of the subsequent discov- erics down to the end of the sixteenth century, or to some period beyond the middle of that century, that might appear to be a proper point of division, if it should be found convenient to confine the vol- ume within narrower limits.
This history, while it should include the discovery of the whole length of the eastern coast from Labrador to Florida, was to present a more particular account of all the voyages known to have been made during that period to, or along the coast of Maine, and show, as far as possible, by extracts from the originals, when it had been simply passed by, and observed from a distance, and when it had been seen more nearly, and more fully described.
The work was to be accompanied by fac-simile copies of such maps and charts, manuscript or printed, as would illustrate these discoveries. And it was desired that these maps and charts should be accompanied by such notices of their history, and such explanations of their con- tents, as would render them both interesting and instructive to the general student.
This was a difficult task; and the more difficult, because it was to be performed in a short time. But feeling a deep interest in the subject, and being to a certain degree prepared for the work by my previous studies, and the collections I had formerly made, I ventured to accept the honorable proposal made to me by the Maine Historical Society ; and have tried to meet, in the following volume, the views and wishes
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INTRODUCTION.
they expressed respecting it, so far as my limited means and powers would permit.
Postponing to CHAPTER I. what I wish to say regarding the physical features of the whole country embraced in our survey, I propose in this Introduction to lay before the reader my manner of proceeding in the work I have undertaken; and, in this view, will now make some ex- planations ; first, with regard to the history I am to give of the dis- covery of North America, and the limits within which it is to be con- fined; and, secondly, with regard to the maps by which this history is to be illustrated, the principles on which they have been selected and arranged, and the manner in which they are treated.
I. ON THE HISTORY.
1. Its starting point.
There may have been European navigators on the east coast of North America before the time of the Northmen; but of this we have only vague traditions and uncertain rumors. The first well-ascertained ex- peditions from Europe to these regions were made by the Northmen, or Scandinavians, near the end of the tenth and beginning of the elev- enth centuries. The documents relating to these voyages are for the most part preserved in the well-written annals of Iceland. As the north-east coast of America was first seen and described by these Scandinavian adventurers in the eleventh century, our history ought therefore to begin with them.
2. Its concluding point.
After the discoveries of the Northmen, but more particularly after those of Columbus and the Cabots at the end of the fifteenth century, there followed a succession of expeditions to the east coast of North America, undertaken by English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish nav- igators, which may be generally characterized as diverse in their ob- jects, disconnected in their plans, often separated from cach other by long intervals of time, and unproductive of any great or permanent results. The period, during which this long succession of voyages took place, from that of Biarne in 990, in which the coast of North America was first seen by Europeans, to that of Sir John Hawkins in 1565, in which he sailed along the whole extent of our east coast,-a period of nearly six centuries,-may be justly regarded as the carly period in the history of the discovery of North America, during which indeed the coast became gradually better known; but in which nothing was accomplished for the settlement of the country.
But at last, toward the end of the sixteenth century, a new era
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INTRODUCTION.
dawned. Those two great and sagacious sovereigns, Queen Elizabeth of England and Henry IV. of France. began to pay more attention to the new world, and particularly to that part of it which lay opposite to their western coasts. Then commenced an uninterrupted succes- sion of expeditions to these transatlantic coasts, led on by Gilbert and Raleigh, by De Monts and Champlain. who were supported by the com- missions of their own sovereigns. and zealous to defend their rival pretensions. The east coast was now explored more minutely, and illustrated by better reports and better charts; particularly the coast · of Maine, on which the rival claims of England and France came more immediately into conflict: and. what is more important, permanent colonies were now for the first time established.
It thus appears that, between the second voyage of Hawkins in 1565, and the first voyage of Gilbert and Raleigh under the letters-patent of 1578, there is a natural division in the history of American discov- ery. into an early and a later period. The termination of the early period will naturally form the concluding point of the historical nar- rative contained in this volume.
3. Its contents, their arrangement. and distribution into chapters.
As discoverers and colonizers of North America, the Northmen stand forth in the middle ages foremost and alone, without allies or rivals. Hence I have brought together all that is known of their successive expeditions, and have treated of them in CHAPTER II, adding to them only the little I have to say regarding the brothers Vadino, Genoese, and the brothers Zeni. Venetians, who appear to have sailed at nearly the same time, and in nearly the same direction, with the Northmen.
The old Scandinavian spirit at las: died away. The expeditions of the Northmen to America gradually ceased, and their colonies in America were destroyed. Nevertheless. their knowledge of the west was never quite forgotten by them. being perpetuated by their tradi- tions. The connection of their colonies in Iceland with Europe, and particularly with England. was never entirely broken off. The Eng- lish and Hanse towns. in the thirteenth. fourteenth, and fifteenth cen- turies, maintained a lively commercial intercourse with Iceland on the (!1 north-western route from Europe to America. This probably was tud without an influence on the subsequent undertakings of Columbus and the Cabots. Columbus visited Iceland in the year 1477, and in 14 .; the Cabots sailed from Bristol. the port which was the chief em- point of the intercourse between England and Iceland, for the dis- covery of North America. These reading expeditions from England to leeland in the fourteenth and anteenth centuries, following next in
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INTRODUCTION.
order after the expeditions of the Northmen, and forming a connecting link between them and later enterprises, are treated of in CHAPTER III.
Inspired by the example of Columbus, whose discoveries are not here related, but assumed to be known, the Venetians, Jolin and Se- bastian Cabot, made their famous voyages of 1497 and 1498, in which North America, if not first discovered, was first re-discovered since the time of the Northmen, and in which almost its entire east coast was first surveyed. To these important voyages of the Cabots, CHAPTER IV. of our volume is devoted.
In imitation of the example of Columbus and of the Cabots, the adventurous Portuguese sent out, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, several exploring expeditions to the north-west under the command of the brothers Cortereal. These expeditions, though they do not appear to have touched the coast of Maine, are still particularly interesting to us, as having thrown much light on the neighboring re- gions in the north of Maine. They, moreover, conducted Portuguese fishermen to the Banks of Newfoundland; and these fishermen be- came, at the same time, active explorers of the north-east of America, and furnished the materials for several highly interesting charts of those regions. The expeditions of the Cortereals form the subject of our CHAPTER V.
Tempted by the advantages offered in the regions recently discov- ered, the Bretons, Normans, and Basques of the west coast of France, and also several English and Portuguese adventurers, followed thither the steps of the Cabots and the Cortereals. The French, with the Por- tuguese, for nearly the entire sixteenth century, took the lead in the fisheries on the Grand Banks, and in the exploration and delineation of the adjacent coasts. The interest thus created in these regions gave occasion, in France, for several exploring expeditions to the north-east of America; and also, in other countries, to diverse schemes and projects for sueli expeditions as were never performed. In CHAP- TER VI. I have treated of all these expeditions, which followed after the Cortereals, whether simply designed or actually accomplished.
The explorations of our east coast, undertaken by the English, Por- tuguese, and French, which have been already described, began at Newfoundland in the north, and proceeded thence to the south. The Spanish explorations, on the contrary, usually began in the West In- dies, and proceeded thence along the coast of Florida toward the north, and reached sometimes the coasts of New England. CHAPTER VII. treats of these Spanish operations, from the time of Columbus to about the time of Ayllon and Cortes, 1324.
In the years 1524 and 1525, two expeditions were sent out with the
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A
INTRODUCTION.
particular object of exploring the east coast of the present United States: the first from France, commanded by Verrazano, an Italian, and the second from Spain, commanded by Gomez, a Spaniard. These expeditions, though proceeding from different countries, were similar in their plans and objects. They were both made at nearly the same time. The one was probably a consequence of the other. Both touched the coast of New England, and particularly of Maine. Through the entire first half of the sixteenth century. there were no other expedi- tions which contributed so much to the knowledge of these coasts. The expedition of Verrazano produced our best description, and that of Gomez our best chart, of the coast of New England. Each of them was also quite isolated. Neither Gomez in Spain, nor Verrazano in France, had an immediate successor. One English expedition, how- ever, that of the year 1527, was somewhat connected with them, as to its date, its purposes, and its results. In view of these considera- tions, I have separated these two eminently important expeditions from the rest, and treated them together in CHAPTER VIII, to which, however, I have added the contemporary English voyage of 1527.
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