_ 243 _ I. The failure of the first voyage to North America was decisive. A letter from the Italian Fernando Carli to his father (4 April 1524) reveals the first reactions of the Lyon bank after the return of this expedition: disappointment, together with willingness to continue to seek. "We hope", he wrote, "that he will find some other profitable trade"(A). It was from this stage that real achievements began. It used to be thought that the Verrazzano brothers had commanded two voyages only, that of the "Dauphin" to Florida and one in the course of which Giovanni died, on one of the Caribbean islands. However, it is now clear that there were four Verrazzano voyages. There can be no doubt that the most definite outcome of the Verrazzano voyages was the opening up of trade with Brazil to the French. However, it is not at all certain that this was the intention. It is not clear whether Giovanni offered his services to Henry VIII of England and it seems likely that he evaded the offers made him by João III certainly his intention was to seek the Cathay route(B). (A) Published by G. Arcangeli (Archivio Storico Italiano, IX,1953, App.n.28, pp.53-5). (B) L. de Matos, Les Portugais en France au XVe siècle. Études et documents, Coimbra 1952, pp.3-4, n.1.
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