Of the waters, however, that seemed to open up beyond, or of the exact relation of the Newfoundland coastline to the rest of the great continent nothing accurate was known.

It might well be that the inner waters behind the inhospitable headlands of Belle Isle would prove the gateway to the great empires of the East.

Cartier's business at any rate was to explore, to see all that could be seen, and to bring news of it to his royal master.

This he set himself to do, with the persevering thoroughness that was the secret of his final success.

He coasted along the shore from cape to cape and from island to island, sounding and charting as he went, noting the shelter for ships that might be found, and laying down the bearing of the compass from point to point.