The thirst for reaching distant and rich countries tormented a Genoese native Giovanni Caboto from a young age. He was a navigator and a merchant, lived in Venice and sailed to Arab countries. In his search of rich sponsors, he moved to the British Isles, where he brought the name and surname in line with local habits and became known as John Cabot. Then news reached England about the discovery of Columbus and the local wealthy people immediately became more generous.
Bristol merchants equipped an expedition with supplies, and King Henry VII allowed Cabot and his sons to sail the seas and discover the unknown lands, with the only condition that Cabot will give a fifth of the income to the king. With this, they sailed from Bristol to the West. In the morning on June 24, 1497, Cabot saw land on the horizon, which he immediately christened as Terra Prima Vista, which is in his native Italian language meant “the first land to be seen.” With time, it will be christened “Newly found land” – in English it will be Newfoundland.
Cabot swam along the coast for a month – then such short voyages in his honor will be called cabotage. He found many kinds of fish there and for some reason decided that he was in China. So, he would return to England where he would be given a reward of £ 10 and an annual pension of 20 lbs. And Canada, which Newfoundland would later become a part of, they would almost be called Cabotia, but would be embarrassed by the disharmony of its sound and change their minds.
