Sebastian Cabot
By Alisan Fu

Sebastian Cabot was a cartographer, navigator and a famous for being an explorer. He sailed with his father John Cabot and is said to have been accredited by some of his works. He is said to been born in Venice but many say he told old Englishman Richard Eden that he was born in Bristol and carried to Venice when he was only four years old. He was a well educated person who was educated in England. He had two brother Ludovico and Sancto Cabot. He is famous for searching first the Northwest Passage across North America, his attempt to travel around the world and his expeditions to Russia. Born in a Sailor family Sebastian Cabot was a good cartographer and a good navigator. Soon powerful countries started to see his talent and decided to hire him.

In 1498 Sebastian Cabot made one of his first important trips with his father John Cabot to Newfoundland. They were looking for a passage to the east to china but didn’t find it. In 1497 John Cabot sail to the Atlantic, looking for a sea route, a North West passage to the Indies and China. Kind Henry VII granted him rights to seek for island and countries under the English flag. The voyage was successful and on the return Sebastian Cabot got credit for this expedition. His father John Cabot died shortly after their return.

Later in 1512 Sebastian Cabot was working for King Henry VIII as a cartographer at Greenwich. England hired him to aid in the war against the French. In that same year Sebastian Cabot was working for Spain, King Ferdinand. He was appointed captain of the Spanish fleet. Due to his knowledge about the coast of Newfoundland he was also hired by the Spanish as a counselor of Newfoundland for the Spanish king.

Very little is known about Sebastian Cabot. All his journey accounts have been lost and only one of his maps was found. Many people say that he made many undocumented trips to the west but there is no solid evidence about this. Some historians even doubt his trip to find a passage to the Northwest.