About 1527 Diego Garcia, commander of a rival expedition, arrived in the Plata, ascended the Parand, and had an interview with Cabot. Garcia claimed the discovery of the Plata River as being under orders from Charles V., and Cabot, who would not struggle for a doubtful right, descended the river with him. Garcia soon after quitted the country, but left behind him some of his followers, who were guilty of acts which ronsed the fierce resentment of the Guaranis, but in which it is expressly declared by Herrera that Cabot took no part. The vengeance of the natives knew no distinctions ; the whole nation burst with fury on the feeble colony, and Cabot was compelled to put to sea. He returned to Spain in 1531, where he resumed his old office, and is known to have made several voyages. In 1548 be resolved to return to his native country.
Edward VI. was then on the throne of England, and being very solicitous about maritime affairs, he appears to have conversed with Cabot, and to have received from him some explanation about the variation of the compass, first noticed, or at least first particularly attended to, by Sebastian Cabot. In the beginning of 1549 Edward granted him a pension of 250 marks per annum (166/. 13s. 41L.). Cabot remained high in the king's favour, and was consulted in all affairs relating to trade and navigation. The advice and influence of Cabot in directing an expedition to the north opened to England the valuable trade with Russia : he was made governor of the company of merchant adventurers by whom the expedition was fitted out ; and the instruc tions delivered by him to the commander, Sir Hugh Willoughby, reflect the greatest credit on his good sense, knowledge, and humanity.
After the Russian trade was established, the exertions of Cabot were continued : the journal of Stephen Burroughs, who was despatched as commander of a vessel in 1556, shows the character of Cabot in a favourable light. Speaking of a visit to the vessel at Gravesend previous
to her departure, he says The good olds gentleman, Master Cabota, gave to the poore most liberall almes, wishing them to pray for the good fortune and prosperous success's, of the Serchthrift, our Pinnesse;" and at au entertainment afterwards—" for very joy that he had to see the towardness of our intended discovery, he entered into the duce himself° amongst the rest of the young and lusty company." The death of Edward VI., and the succession of Mary, put an end to the enterprise of Cabot. His pension was continued until May 1557, when it was renewed, not to him exclusively, but jointly whit one William Worthington, of whom little is known. To this person all the maps and document. of Cabot were delivered, and it has been supposed that by his means they were either destroyed or put into the possession of Philip of Spain, the husband of Mary; certain it is that they are no longer to be found.
It is not known when or where Cabot died; although his friend Eden, in his dedication to the translation of ' Taisnierus's Treatise on Navigation,' gives an account of his death. He says, speaking of a mode of fiudiog the longitude—" Cabot, on his death-bed, tolde me that he had the knowledge thereof, by divine revelation, yet so that he might not teacbe any man." Eden thought "the good old man in that extreme age somewhat doted, and had not yet, even in the article of death, utterly shaken off all worldlye vaine glorye." (Memoir of Sebastian Cabot, London, 1831; see also Hakluyt, Porches, Cooley, and Anderson, History of Commerce.)