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Cabal SeeKABBALA.

Cabot, John (Giovanni Cabotto)(ca. 1450–1499)Ital-
ian navigator
John or Giovanni Cabot was probably born about 1450 in
the Italian port city of GENOA, although he was granted
Venetian citizenship in 1476. Cabot worked as a sailor,
merchant, and navigator. From 1490 to 1493 he probably
lived in the Spanish city of VALENCIAand may have been
present when Christopher COLUMBUStraveled there in
April 1493, on his way to report on his successful voyage
to the Western Hemisphere to the king and queen of
SPAIN.
Cabot did not think that Columbus had reached
Asia, believing the distance was greater than that traveled
by Columbus. It was more possible to reach Asia, he
believed, by sailing around the northern end of the body
of land that Columbus had found. This idea led to the
search for a Northwest Passage, sparking many voyages
of exploration over the next 350 years.
Cabot traveled to ENGLANDto sell his plan of discov-
ery to King Henry VII (r. 1485–1509), and on March 5,
1496, the king issued to him letters of patent that
granted to “John Cabotto, Citizen of Venice,” the right to
sail with five ships “to all parts, countries and seas of the
East, of the West, and of the North” to “discover and
find whatsoever isles, countries, regions or provinces of
heathens and infidels, in whatsoever part of the world
they be, which before this time were unknown to all
Christians.”
Cabot first attempted to sail to North America in
1496 but was forced to turn back because of shortage of
food, bad weather, and problems with the crew. On May

20, 1497, he sailed again from the port of Bristol in a

small ship, The Matthew,with a crew of 20 that included

his son, Sebastian. They sailed past IRELANDfor 35 days

until they sighted land on June 24, Saint John the Bap-

tist’s Day. Cabot went ashore and saw signs of human

habitation but did not meet anyone. He then sailed on for

300 leagues from west to east before turning back and

heading for Ireland. He took 15 days to cross the Atlantic

to BRITTANY and sail from there to Bristol, where he

landed on August 6. In London on August 11, he

reported to the king, who gave him a reward, and sent

him home to Bristol.

It is unclear where Cabot actually sailed; most likely

he landed somewhere on the coast of Maine and then

headed north along the coast of Nova Scotia and Cape

Breton Island as far as Cape Race in Newfoundland, and

from there back to Europe. Once Cabot proved that he

had found land that was previously unknown to Euro-

peans, he obtained support from the king for a new expe-

dition, with five ships and a much larger crew. The ships

sailed from Bristol in May 1498 but were never heard of

again.

Evidence found by later explorers suggested that this

second expedition reached the coast of Newfoundland.

Perhaps some of the ships or survivors fell into the hands

of the Spanish, because later Spanish explorers seemed to

have had some knowledge of the discoveries made by

Cabot.

Further reading:Clements R. Markham, trans., The

Journal of Christopher Columbus (during His First Voyage,

1492–93), and Documents Relating to the Voyages of John

Cabot and Gaspar Corte Real(London: Hakluyt Society,

1893); James A. Williamson and R. A. Skelton, The

Cabot Voyages and Bristol Discovery under Henry VII with