the easterly extremity of the peninsula of Cape Cod, and keeping close to the shore would have been forced for one hundred and fifty miles, in a northerly and west of north direction, and thence along the coast of Maine northeasterly a further distance of one hundred and fifty miles, and been finally locked in the bay of Fundy.  It is only by running from Cape Sable along the shores of Nova Scotia that this course and distance, in sight of the land, can be reconciled with the actual direction of the coast; and this makes the opening between Cape Cod and Cape Sable the large bay intended in the letter.  But this opening of eighty leagues in width, could never have been seen by the writer of it; and nothing could more conclusively prove his ignorance of the coast, than his statements that from the river among the hills, for the distance of ninety-five leagues easterly to the harbor in 41 Degrees 40’ N. and from thence for a further distance of one hundred and fifty leagues, also easterly, the land was always in sight.

[Illustration with caption:  ] Cape Henry and entrance into the Chesapeake.  Lighthouse, with lantern 129 feet above the sea, bearing W. N. W. 1/2 W., three leagues distant.

V.

III.  Cape Breton AHD the southerly coast of Newfoundland, here claimed to have been discovered, were known previously.  Perversion of the text of the letter by Ramusio.

By the two courses and distances just mentioned, the explorers are brought first to the island of Cape Breton, and then to the cape of that name, where the coast first takes a decided turn, from its easterly direction, to the north, and forms the westerly side of the strait leading into the gulf of St. Lawrence.  This cape, according to the letter, is distant easterly one hundred and fifty, and fifty, leagues from the harbor in the great bay, distances which, for reasons already mentioned, are to be regarded as estimates only, but which taken exactly would have carried them beyond Cape Race in Newfoundland.  They are to be considered, however, as properly limited to the turn of the coast before mentioned, as that is a governing circumstance in the description.  Beyond this point, north, and east, the letter presents the claim to the discovery in another aspect.  Thus far it relates to portions of the coast confessedly unknown before its date.  But from Cape Breton, in latitude 46 Degrees N. to latitude 50 Degrees N. on the east side of Newfoundland, it pretends to the discovery of parts, which were in fact already known; and it makes this claim circumstances which prove it was so known by the writer, if the letter were written as pretended.  Having described their attempts at intercourse with the natives at Cape Breton, the narrative concludes the description of the coast with the following paragraph.