Verrazzano's Survey of the North American Coast (1524)
Giovanni da Verrazzano · 1524–1524 · La Dauphine
A single-ship reconnaissance of the North American coast from about 34 degrees North latitude to the approach to Newfoundland, commissioned by Francis I to find a passage to Cathay north of the routes the Portuguese held. Verrazzano's own letter to the king survives only in copies, and its authenticity has been disputed since the nineteenth century -- Terraveler carries this voyage at confidence 'contested' for that reason, not because the itinerary itself is in doubt.
The itinerary
4 stages. Journal excerpts are verbatim from public-domain sources, each with its citation; where no verified quote exists, the entry says so rather than inventing one.
1. the deserted rock near the island of Madeira
Today: Ilheus Desertas, Madeira, Portugal (approximate) · Arrived 17 January 1524Verrazzano departed from a deserted rock near Madeira on 17 January with the Dauphine, fifty men, and eight months of provisions, sailing west.
we departed, sailing westward by an east-south-east wind blowing with sweet and gentle lenity
Verrazano's Voyage Along the Atlantic Coast of North America, 1524 (trans. Edward Hagaman Hall, 1916) 2. The Land First Seen, in 34 degrees North Latitude
Today: near Cape Fear, North Carolina, USA (approximate -- only a latitude is given) · Arrived 21 March 1524 · position approximateTwenty-five days after a severe storm, the expedition sighted land never before seen, at a stated latitude of 34 degrees North -- the coast near present-day Cape Fear.
In XXV more days we sailed more than 400 leagues where there appeared to us a new land never before seen by anyone, ancient or modern
Verrazano's Voyage Along the Atlantic Coast of North America, 1524 (trans. Edward Hagaman Hall, 1916) 3. Land of Angouleme, Bay of Santa Margherita, River Vendome
Today: New York Harbor and the Hudson River mouth, USA · Arrived 17 April 1524 · position approximateCoasting north, the expedition found a great river flowing to the sea between two low hills, with an eight-foot tide -- the bay and river later charted as New York Harbor and the Hudson. The date given (17 April) follows the standard secondary chronology, not an explicit date in this excerpt.
we found a very agreeable situation located within two small prominent hills, in the midst of which flowed to the sea a very great river
Verrazano's Voyage Along the Atlantic Coast of North America, 1524 (trans. Edward Hagaman Hall, 1916) 4. "Refugio," the very beautiful port
Today: Newport and Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA · Arrived 5 May 1524 · position approximateFifteen leagues beyond an island, the expedition entered a beautiful port -- identified with Narragansett Bay -- where about twenty boats came out to meet the ship, among them two of the local rulers. The date given follows the standard secondary chronology, not an explicit date in this excerpt.
we found a very beautiful port, and before we entered it, we saw about XX barges of the people
Verrazano's Voyage Along the Atlantic Coast of North America, 1524 (trans. Edward Hagaman Hall, 1916)
Published under CC BY-SA 4.0. Sources keep their own open licences. See the Magna Carta of the Seas for how this was verified, or who wrote this voyage.