Section II., 1894. [ 3 ] Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada. 



I. — Salih' Islaiiil : Its Hisdir// and P/tinnimiKi. 

 By the Rev. George Patterson, D.D. 



(Read May 2.5, 1894.) 



I. Description of the Island. 



From tho great bank of Newtoiindhiiul westward, off the south coast of Xova Scotia, 

 ahnost to the shores of the United States, the ocean-bed presents a series of shoals or banks, 

 composed of sand, pebbles and fragments of shells and corals, with a depth of water on them 

 of from thirty to seventy fathoms, and varying in extent from fifteen or twenty miles to 

 nearly three hundred in length, witli proportionate breadth. 



One of the largest of these submarine sand-beds is Sable island bank, two hundred 

 miles in length from east to west, and about ninety in breadth from north to south. The 

 summit or apex of this, being raised above the water, forms Sable island, so long the terror 

 of navigators, and associated with so many sad recollections. It is situated about eighty-five 

 miles from Whitehead, the nearest point on the ISTova Scotia shore, in a southeasterly direc- 

 tion. It is now less than twenty miles long, by about one mile wide, and the east end is in 

 latitude 43^ 59' north and in longitude 59^ 45' west. By Capt. Bayfield's survey, in 1851, 

 the west end was in latitude 45° 56' north and longitude 60° 08' west, and this is still given 

 as its position. But some miles have been carried away from the point, leaving its longitude 

 somewhat less. It forms two parallel ridges of loose gray sand, in a bow or crescent shape, 

 with the inner side to the north. In the valley between these is a lake, now not more than 

 eight miles long, formerly nearly twice that length. 



Approaching it fi-om the north, it exhibits a range of small sand dunes at the west end 

 about twenty feet high, eastward rising to a height of eighty, and then falling away toward 

 the east end. As the island is thus comparatively low, is perfectly treeless, and in colour 

 presents no marked contrast with the surrounding waters, it proves a snare to navigators, 

 who have often sailed directly for it, till brought to a sense of their danger l)y the sight of 

 the signal staff of one of the stations. 



From the west i)oint stretches northwesterly a bar, which is dry in ordinary weather 

 tor one and a-half miles, nearly so for another mile, then extends nine miles over which the 

 sea breaks at all times, and still seven miles farther over which it breaks in heavy weather, 

 and at all times shows a great ripple and cross seas, the whole being thus seventeen miles 

 in length. From the east end a similar bar stretches northeasterly for seventeen miles, of 

 which the first four are dry in fine weather, the next nine covered with heavy breakers, and 

 the last four with a heavy cross sea. Thus the island and its bars present in stormy weather 

 a continuous line for upwards of fifty miles of terrific breakers. 



Besides these bars, at each extremity of the island there are three shoals or ridges paral- 



