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The voyages by Ayllon, Gomez and Verrazano made it possible to map, describe inhabitants and certain features along the eastern coast of the North America continent. The Europeans now had a great basis of knowledge but, still no passage to the orient was discovered. I failed to mention in the podcast that Verrazano may have taken part in the capturing of a Spanish ship carrying the treasure of Cortez.
In the the year 1525 Estevan Gomez coasted from Labrador to Florida discovering / investigating Cape Cod, Narragansett bay, and the mouths of the Connecticut, Hudson (which he named Rio de San Antonio) and Delaware Rivers.
Peter Martyr had this to say about his voyage, “Stephanus Gomez, neither finding the straight, nor Gaitaia [Cathay] which he promised, returned back within ten months after his departure. I always thought and presupposed this good man’s imaginations were vain and frivolous. Yet wanted he no suffrage and voyages in his favor and defense. Notwithstanding he found pleasant and profitable countries, agreeable with our parallels and degrees of the pole. . . . But what need have we of these things which are common with all the people of Europe? To the South, to the South for the great and exceeding riches of the Equinoctial: they that seek riches must not go unto the cold and frozen North.”
