70 FISHING-GKOUNDS OF NORTH AMEEICA. 



The depths off the southern side of the bank rapidly iucrease from sixty to seven hundred, 

 twelve hundred, and fourteen hundred fathoms. 



At the eastern end of Western Bank is Sable Island, a long and narrow crescent-shaped 

 elevation, entirely formed of sand, which has been blown into innumerable hummocks or dunes. 

 Off both ends of the island are long- and dangerous sand-bars. The length of the island is about 

 twenty miles, and its greatest width one and one-half miles. It extends in a nearly east and 

 west direction. The depth of water on the bars, for a distance of from seven to ten miles, does 

 not exceed two fathoms, and even ten miles farther out, both to the east and west, the depths are 

 not greater than ten or eleven fathoms. 



As a general rule, the bank slopes gradually from the island toward the south and west, the 

 deptiis ranging from eighteen to sixty fathoms. The bottom is mostly sandy, with patches of 

 gravel and pebbles. On the Middle Ground there are several shoal spots, with depths of ten 

 to nineteen fathoms. The currents are occasionally quite s'roug in the vicinity of Sable Island 

 and generally very irregular, being much influenced by winds. On the remainder of the bank 

 there is usually but little current, whatever there is usually tending in a westerly direction. 



Cod and halibut are the principal food-fish taken, other species of bottom swimmers occurriug 

 in less numbers. Cod are generally most abundant in the spring, from the first of March to 

 June, although good fares are obtained throughout almost the entire year. For more than 

 twenty-five years the Western Bank has been a favorite resort of the halibut fishermen. At first, 

 these fish were found very plentiful on different parts of the bank in from forty-five to sixty 

 fathoms, and since 187G have been caught in great numbers along the edges on the south and east 

 sides, in one hundred to three hundred fathoms. Like the cod, they are found during the entire 

 year, the period of greatest abundance, however, being from the first of January to the first of 

 October. The Western Bank may be considered both as a feeding and spawning ground for the cod 

 and halibut. It abounds in shell-fish (qtiahogs, mussels, clams, and iieriwiukles), and crustaceans 

 (crabs, shrimps, etc.), as well as in several species of small fish (lant and herring), upon which the 

 cod and halibut prey. Although the cod do not gather in such great schools in winter as they 

 do on George's Bank, it is nevertheless quite evident, that they assemble at that season for the 

 purpose of reproduction. Usually they are found most abundant on the western part of the 

 bank in winter, but as spring advances they move into shoaler water in the vicinity of Sable 

 Island, the "bend" of the island and the region about the bars being favorite grounds during the 

 late spring and early summer. The fish taken near the island are, as a rule, somewhat smaller than 

 those caught farther west. Vessels from all along the New England coast and from the British 

 provinces resort to this bank to pursue the cod fishery, but fishing for halibut is almost 

 exclusively carried on by the Gloucester fleet. The two bars at the eastern and western ends of 

 Sable Island, as well as the shoal water off the northei'u side of the island, are favorite localities for 

 dory hand-line fishing for cod. 



THE OWL AND DOUBTFUL BANKS. 



The Owl is a very small bank, lying m 43° 57' north latitude, and 61° 55' west longitude. It 

 is somewhat triangular in outline, being about five miles long by three miles wide at the broadest 

 end, and having an area of about ten square miles, as laid down on the Admiralty chart. The 

 only depth of water given is fifty-four fathoms, with sixty to ninety fathoms off the edge. 



Doubtful Bank lies about fifteen miles northwest of the Owl, and is of less extent than the 

 latter, having an area of about six or seven miles only. The depth of water is thirty-two 

 fathoms, eighty-two fathoms occurriug in tlie immediate vicinity. Both of these small grounds 



