What Was on John Cabot's Ship Matthew in 1497?

When John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) sailed from Bristol on May 2, 1497 aboard the Matthew (50 tons, 18 crew), the manifest wasn't recorded — but historical reconstruction tells us what a Bristol discovery voyage carried:

Essential Stores

• Food: Salt beef/pork, hardtack (ship's biscuit), dried peas/beans, oatmeal, cheese, butter, vinegar (scurvy prevention), beer (~1 gal/man/day — safer than water)
• Water: 2–3 tons in casks
• Fuel: Firewood for galley

Navigation & Ship's Gear

• Magnetic compass, lead line (depth), log line (speed), cross-staff/astrolabe (latitude)
• Charts: Portolan charts of North Atlantic, possibly Martin Behaim's globe data
• Spare canvas, rope, pitch, oakum, carpentry tools

Trade & Diplomatic Goods

• Wool cloth (Bristol's staple export), knives, beads, mirrors, hatchets, copper kettles — for potential Indigenous trade
• Letters patent from Henry VII authorizing discovery/claim
• Flags: St. George's Cross (England), possibly Venetian (Cabot's origin)

Personal

• Cabot's navigational instruments, personal effects
• Crew's sea chests (minimal clothing, religious items)

No livestock, cannons (too small), or luxury cargo. The Matthew was a lean exploration vessel — returning June 1497 after landing likely in Newfoundland/Cape Breton.