"The waters were so thick with fish that the ship sometimes could not move as fast as it otherwise would. One thing amused us very much. It was the strange sight of bears fishing! The great creatures swam out into the water and caught the fish in their paws. Sometimes the fish were so large that they fought hard to get away, but the bears nearly always won the battle." John Cabot told the king he had discovered the country of China. He was treated with the highest honor and called "The Great Admiral." He was dressed in rich silks. The king promised he should have a sum of money given him every year for the rest of his life. After a while the king began to say to himself: "It is all very well to make a voyage to the west and find the east, but that is not enough. I should like some of the gold and gems and delicious spices found there." So it came about that John Cabot and his son started out on a second voyage. When they reached North America this time they sailed along its shores for a long distance. They saw Indians dressed in skins and wearing ornaments of copper. But they found no gold nor spices. Cabot still thought he had visited Asia. The king of England did not care about him any longer, however. He was of no use if he could not bring to England the treasures of India. This is probably the reason we know nothing more about John Cabot. We do not even know how long he lived nor when he died. His son Sebastian lived to be a bright and lively old man and was always glad to hear of the voyages of others to far-away places. When Uncle Sam had finished the story of John Cabot he told the children why he wished them to remember it. "Columbus made his voyages with the help of Spain," said he. "That country claimed the right to hold the lands he discovered. That is why the people who settled in the West Indies and in almost all of South America came from Spain and spoke the Spanish language. "But John Cabot sailed for the English king and that is why the English said: "'We claim the eastern part of North America.' "Years after the time of John Cabot they sent people to settle here. They spoke our language and planted English ways and English thoughts with their corn and potatoes." Uncle Sam laughed as he added, "Maybe you and I would have been Spaniards if it had not been for John Cabot. I wonder how you would have liked that, Joe. I know you are not too fond of your Spanish cousins." "Cousins! Ugh! I don't like to think of their being relations of mine." "My dear boy, this world isn't so very large after all, and one great Father loves us and cares for all. Of course, we think America could teach Spain one or two things, but I don't doubt she could help us in some ways, too. No one is perfect, Joe, or else we shouldn't need to live in this world. Come, children, give me a kiss and run off to your little beds."