| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Sebastian Cabot told Englishman Richard Eden that he was born in Bristol and carried to Venice at four years of age, and he told Contarini, the Venetian ambassador at the court of Charles V that he was Venetian, educated in England. Contarini noted it in his diary.
By 1512 Sebastian was certainly employed by Henry VIII as a cartographer at Greenwich. In the same year he accompanied Willoughby to Spain, where he was made captain by Ferdinand V. After Ferdinand's death he returned to England, where, in 1517, he tried fruitlessly to win the support of Vice-Admiral Perte for a new expedition. In 1522, although once more in the employ of Spain as a member of the "Council of the Indies" and holding the rank of pilot-major, he secretly offered his services to Venice, undertaking to find the northwest passage to China.
Finally he received the rank of captain general from Spain, and was entrusted, March 4, 1525, with the command of a fleet which was to find TarshishTarshish a Sanscrit or Aryan word, meaning "the sea coast. It occurs in the Bible in two meanings: 1. One of the "sons" of Javan. The name of a place which first comes into notice in the days of Solomon (Kings 22, 48). In all probability this was the sout, OphirOphir is a port or region mentioned in the Bible that was famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years. Biblical scholars, arc, and CathayCathay is the name that was given to northern China by Marco Polo. He referred to southern China as Manji. See also: China in world languages Cathay, North Dakota Cathay Pacific., along with a new route to the Moluccas. The expedition consisted of three ships with 150 men, and set sail from Cadiz, April 5, 1526, but only went as far as the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Cabot went ashore and left behind his companions, Francisco de Rojas, Martin Mendez, and Miguel de Rodas, with whom he had quarrelled. He explored the Parana River as far as its junction with the Paraguay and built two forts. In August 1530 he returned to Spain, where he was at once indicted for his conduct towards his fellow commanders and his lack of success, and was banished as of February 1, 1532 to OranThis article is about the city in Algeria. See also Oran, Missouri Oran (population 700,000) is a city in northwest Algeria, situated on the Mediterranean Sea coast. Administration Oran is the capital of a province wilaya of the same name. History Oran wa in MoroccoAl Mamlakah al-Maghribiyah In Detail( Full size) Official language Arabic Capital Rabat Largest City Casablanca King Mohammed VI Prime Minister Driss Jettou Area Total Ranked 56th 446,550 km² Population Total (2003) Density31,689,267 70/km² Ranked 36th In. After a year he was pardoned and went to Seville; he remained pilot-major of Spain until 1547, when without losing either the title or the pension, he left Spain and returned to England, where he received a salary with the title of great pilot.
In the year 1553 Charles V made unsuccessful attempts to win him back. In the meantime Cabot had reopened negotiations with Venice, but he reached no agreement with that city. After this he aided both with information and advice the expedition of Willoughby and Chancellor, was made life-governor of the "Company of Merchant Adventurers", and equipped (1557) the expedition of Borough. After this, nothing more is heard of him; he probably died soon afterwards.
The account of his journeys written by himself has been lost. All that remains of his personal work is a map of the world drawn in 1544; one copy of this was found in Bavaria, and is still preserved in the Bibliotheque National in Paris. This map is especially important for the light it throws on the first journey of his father.
The character of Sebastian Cabot does not leave a favourable impression; restless and unscrupulous, he busied himself with the most varied projects, and was ready to enter into relations with any country from which he might hope to gain the realization of his schemes. The country most indebted to him is England, where he roused enthusiasm for great undertakings; with his father he laid the foundation of the English supremacy at sea.
The accounts of the journeys of John and Sebastian Cabot were collected by Richard Hakluyt.