PAUL:	1997 is being celebrated as 
	the five hundredth anniversary 
	of Newfoundland’s discovery by 
	white guys.  
	
	In 1497, Giovanni Caboto, a 
	Genovese in the employ of the 
	British crown, brought his 
	festering caravel ashore 
	somewhere in these parts.
	
	Never mind that the Norse, 
	Basques, Irish Monks, Dorset 
	Peoples and Beothuck had 
	preceded him - this is the 
	year of Cabot.
	
	An important part of the year-
	long festivities is the 
	recreation of the voyage of 
	discovery in a replica of 
	Cabot’s boat, the Matthew.
	
	And the BCN will be there.
	
	On the phone now from Bristol, 
	England, is our Cabot 
	correspondent, Norman 
	Parmenter.  Norman is a junior 
	journalist from our Newsroom.
	
	Hey Norman how’s the food in 
	England? (Paul laughs)
	
NORM:	Very funny.

PAUL:	What precisely will your 
	duties be as cabin boy (Paul 
	laughs)?
	
NORM:	I’m not a cab ...

PAUL:	There was a lottery of sorts 
	here at the BCN to see who 
	would have the privilege of a 
	three month stint in old 
	Blighty and a transatlantic 
	journey in a doubtful balsa-
	wood scow.
	
NORM:	How come you weren’t in the 
	lottery?

PAUL:	Seniority, Norman.  Anything 
	to report yet?  

NORM:	The girls are kind of stuck-
	up.  The cost of living is 
	atrocious and the weather 
	sucks.
	
PAUL:	You’ll no doubt remember all 
	that fondly once you set sail 
	and your tiny life raft is 
	thrust skyward by the thirty 
	foot swells of the freezing 
	North Atlantic.
	
NORM:	Thanks, Man.

PAUL:	We’ll be talking to Norman 
	Parmenter regularly through-
	out the historic voyage, 
	getting the background and the 
	foreground of this great 
	tourist ... attraction.  Until 
	then, Norm, work on your 
	backstroke.

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