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The First Thanksgiving (Sept. 3, 1578) The shortest distance to Cathay 1 (Land of riches: silks, teas and spices) Lay to the north to the South Sea. 2 Didn’t Barlow tell the King, 3 Was reserved for England. The routes ‘round the Capes 4 Were long in treacherous waters Hampered by Portuguese carracks And Spanish galleons. The tidal rip observed by the Captain 5 Undermines the sailor’s quest To seek the Northwest Passage Of Meta Incognita through Mistaken Strait. 6, 7 Storms and ice floes plagued the Mariners Return voyage to Frobisher Strait 8 And suffered loss of the ‘Dennis,’ 9 Needed to establish a settlement. Aboard the ‘Ayde’ Frobisher and crew gathered 10, 11 In prayer, as the Chaplain chanted ‘Te Deum,’ 12, 13 In public rejoicing, thanking the Lord For safe sailing and their arrival. The Eucharist is observed in the New World 14 Followed by a meal of salted beef, peas, and biscuits Where shared dreams get lost in Arctic squalls, And preparations made for the journey homeward. *** Notes: 1) Cathay: ‘Cathay’ was the name used by the early European explorers for China. 2) South Sea (Pacific Ocean): In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Balboa (1475-1519) named the entire present day Pacific Ocean, ‘Mar del Sur’ (the great Southern Sea). The current name is derived from Ferdinand Magellan’s use of ‘Mar Pacifico’ (peaceful sea) during his voyage of circumnavigating the world in 1521. 3) Roger Barlow (1483-1553): Roger Barlow was a British merchant who sailed with Sebastian Cabot (son of John Cabot) in 1526 to South America. In 1542 he presented a cosmography (Briefe Summe of Geographie 1540-1541, which included an account of his travels) to King Henry VIII (1491-1547) of England. Barlow believed that England should explore and establish a trade route to the Orient via a Northwest Passage. “…the shortest route, the northern, has been reserved by Divine Providence for England.” 4) Trade Routes to the Orient: The ‘trade routes to the Orient’ consisted of: i) east around the Cape of Good Hope of Africa and across the Indian Ocean to the East Indies and China, or ii) west around the Cape of The Virgins and then through the Magellan Strait and across the Pacific Ocean to the East Indies and China, or iii) around Cape Horn of South America and across the Pacific Ocean to the East Indies and China. 5) Riptide: A ‘riptide’ is a strong current of water flowing out of a bay, estuary, or lagoon through the inlet opening during an ebb tide (period between high and low tide when water flows away from the shore). 6) Meta Incognita (Latin): On his first voyage to the New world in search of the Northwest Passage in 1576, Martin Frobisher discovered and claimed the lands and beyond of the Labrador coast and southern part of Baffin Island for England, and named it ‘Elizabeth’s Foreland’, after Queen Elizabeth I who reigned over England from 1558 to 1603. Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) later renamed the territory ‘Meta Incognita,’ which means ‘Unknown Shore.’ 7) Mistaken Strait: ‘Mistaken Strait’ was the name given to present day Hudson Strait by Martin Frobisher, who at first believed that it was the entrance to the Northwest Passage but with further exploration realized it was not. 8) Frobisher Strait: ‘Frobisher Strait’ was discovered by Martin Frobisher on his first voyage in search of the Northwest Passage to Cathay in 1576, who mistakenly thought it was a strait, which could be and/or lead to the Northwest Passage. It wasn’t until 1861 that it was discovered to be a bay of Baffin Island and was named ‘Frobisher Bay’ in his honour. 9) Dennis: The ‘Dennis’ was a 100 ton supply barque and one of fifteen ships in Frobisher’s fleet on his third voyage to the New World in 1578. The fleet ran into foul weather and ice floes in Hudson Strait and the ‘Dennis’ sank. Frobisher had been instructed to establish a settlement in the New World by Queen Elizabeth I and, without the supply barque, further added to the discouragement and the eventual discontinuation to build a settlement on Baffin Island. 10) Ayde: ‘Ayde’ was the name of the Flagship commandeered by Captain Martin Frobisher. 11) Martin Frobisher (1535-1594): ‘Martin Frobisher’ was a licensed pirate turned captain who led three expeditions (between 1776 and 1778) to the New World in search of gold, and the Northwest Passage to the Far East. Sir Martin Frobisher was knighted in 1585 for his valour during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585 to 1604) between England and Spain. Martin Frobisher’s expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage: i) First expedition: June 7, 1576 to October 9, 1576. ii) Second expedition: May 27, 1577 to September 17, 1577. iii) Third expedition: June 3, 1578 to October 2, 1578. 12) Chaplain Robert Wolfall (1544/45-1610): ‘Robert Wolfall’ was a British Anglican Chaplain who conducted the first Anglican Eucharist in Canadian territory aboard the ship ‘Ayde’ in Frobisher Strait on September 3, 1578, during the third Frobisher expedition commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I of England. 13) Te Deum (aka Te Deum laudamus): ‘Te Deum laudamus’ is a Latin hymn meaning ‘God we praise you.’ 14) Eucharist: The ‘Eucharist’ is a Christian ceremony commemorating the ‘Last Supper’ of Jesus Christ and His disciples. Various Christian religions have different theologies and practices. 15) Thanksgiving Day, Canada: In Canada, ‘Thanksgiving Day’ is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
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