He had unlocked the harbors of the
world to his adopted country, England.
NOTE
The rules drawn up by Cabot for the merchant adventurers, to be read
publicly on board ship once a week, are interesting as showing the
character of the man and the great advance made in welding English trade
into a company to be guided by the best traditions. For the first time
captains were required to keep a log, and this one thing, by putting on
record everything seen and noted by those who sailed strange waters,
made an increasing fund of knowledge at the service of each navigator.
Some of the points in the instructions are as follows:
7. "That the merchants and other skilful persons, in writing, shall
daily write, describe and put in memorie the navigation of each day and
night, with the points and observations of the lands, tides, elements,
altitude of the sunne, course of the moon and starres, and the same so
noted by the order of the master and pilot of every ship to be put in
writing; the captain-general assembling the masters together once every
weeke (if winde and weather shall serve) to conferre all the
observations and notes of the said ships, to the intent it may appeare
wherein the notes do agree and wherein they dissent, and upon good
debatement, deliberation and conclusion determined to put the same into
a common ledger, to remain of record for the companie; the like order to
be kept in proportioning of the cardes, astrolabes, and other
instruments prepared for the voyage, at the charge of the companie.
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