nearly noon
As the country was still covered with snow , he had slung his snowshoes on his back , and as he was still clad in the well-worn fur garments that had been so necessary in Labrador , his appearance was sufficiently striking to attract attention as soon as he landed . One of the very first persons who spoke to him proved to be the young superintendent of the mine he wished to visit , and , when this gentleman learned that Cabot had just returned from Labrador , he offered him every hospitality . Not only did he show him over the mine and give him all possible information concerning it , but he kept him over night in his own bachelor quarters , and provided a boat to take him across to Portugal Cove on the mainland in the morning . From that point , there being no conveyance , Cabot was forced to walk the nine miles into St. Johns , which city he did not reach until nearly noon . Even there , where fur-clad Arctic explorers are not uncommon , Cabot 's costume attracted much attention . Disregarding this , he inquired his way to the Bank of Nova Scotia , where he presented the letter of credit that he had carefully treasured amid all the vicissitudes of the past ten months . The paying teller of the bank examined it closely , and then took a long look at the remarkable-appearing young man who had presented it .