16 JULY 1948, Page 16

HENRY VII AND JOHN CABOT -

Sm,—In his interesting remarks about Bristol and early Atlantic explora- tion, in last week's Spectator, Mr. Harold Nicolson refers to Henry VII's gift of ten pounds to John Cabot. He omits to mention that, in addition, John Cabot, the discoverer of North America in 1497—two years before Columbus set foot on the mainland of South America—was awarded a pension of twenty pounds. As Cabot drew his pension twice, Henry Tudor paid in all fifty pounds to the discoverer of N. America! —