II. THË COASTS OF NEW FIJAKCE AND NEW ENGLAND

Since the last Congrès des Américanistes, professor Horsford, of Cambridge, Massachussets, lias published the results ofresearchesinto the discovery of America by the Northmen, and lias also built a lofty tovver on the site of a fort which lie believes that theyfounded, and marking the discoverj by him of the longlost city and fort of Norumbega. Ile also makes use of many old maps and new arguments to prove that LeifErikson, Cabot, Cortereal, Verrazzano, and John Rut, ail landed at or near the présent Boston or Cape Cod, and that the whole east coast of north America as laid down on ancient maps is intended to represent some few miles of sliore line in the immédiate neighbourhood of Boston Bay.

Time does not now serve to examine ail thèse crowded iden-

tifications, but it may be mentioned that, as set forth more at length in the full paper, the researches of Rev. D' B. J. Da Costa go far to prove that the San Germano of Verrazzano's map was New-York's llarbour, and that the peculiar isthmus shown on the same map miist hâve been, in the opinion of the présent writer, the banks to the south of Cape Ilatteras. Cabot's first sight of land must bave been the north of Newfoimdland ; his name and the date 1497 on the map of Lokhave no other signifleance than the words Prima Vista on the map by Cabot himself of 1544. A large portion of the coast westward of Cape Breton was intended to represent NovaScotia : the large opening in the coast dénotes varions localitics on the différent m.nps. Sometimes it is the Strait of Canso, sometimes the Bay of l^indy, but more often the river Penobscot. The latter idenlification may be suffîciently established by comparing Ihe earlier maps given by Prof. liorsford witli his copies of the later ones l)y Smith and Montanus. The city of Norumbega is with great unanimity located on this river, the Penobscot, and the country of Norumbega is indicated sometimes on both sides and sometimes to the east only of that river. Nev^' France, identified by professor Horsford with Norumbega, is in the early maps used as a name for the whole of. north America: later ones confine it to the north of the mouth of the Kennebec.

The identifications whicli professor Horsford so laboriously collects around Boston, are thus scattercd to their various stations along the coast, while the « centre of culture » is left ail alone in lier glory, with the half clad statue of Leif Erikson,and a tower modelled on a windmill of the colonial period !