Gatsby Sailors Regarding Cartier Analysis

After the discovery of the New World, Europeans flocked to the continent in hopes to find riches beyond their belief as well as a pass towards the spices of Asia. The New World became a place of curiosity but quickly what was thought to be a dreamland of wealth quickly descended into a land known for its harshness and difficulty. Yet, Europeans were still interested to find what the New World had to offer. In Examinations of Newfoundland Sailors Regarding Cartier by Antonio de Ubilla, Antonio interviews multiple fishermen to gain information about Cartier’s third voyage in the New World. What this document provides is an insight into the mindset of Europeans during the 1500s and their attitudes towards the New World. This analysis will summarize the document and demonstrate how the

This document was then adopted and edited into the book History of the Canadian Peoples by Margaret Conrad, Alvin Finkel, and Donald Fyson, who shortened and cut out information. What this version demonstrates is how a source can be altered to change the tone and how sources can ultimately be manipulated to convey a new message, which may differ from the original author’s intent.
In 1542, Antonio de Ubilla interviewed a series of seven fishermen who had all recently visited the New World. The first man in this document, which will be referred to as the Antonio document in this analysis, is Robert Lefant, who set sail “to Terra Nova to fish for cod”. He says that he heard from a Breton master that Jacques Cartier had left France with their destination of Terra Nova with one ship and 300 men and was to be joined by Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval later on to create a settlement. Cartier left to return for France with barrels of precious stones and metals whereas Roberval continued on to make a settlement. He also stated that trade and resources were abundant and that fishing was popular with many