ON SABLE ISLAND. 41 



lighthouse keeper, his assistant and two lioatmen. Here is a lifehoat. There are usually 

 two or three extra men. The whole stati' consists thus of about eighteen men, beside the 

 superintendent. With their lamilies, the number of souls resident is usually between forty- 

 tive and fifty. These stations are now all connected by telephone. 



In maintaining communication with the island, one of the saddest losses occurred in 

 the year 1870 that has happened since the formation of the establishment. On the 28th 

 September the schooner " Ocean Traveller," Capt. O'Bryan, sailed from Halifax with supplies 

 for the island. The weather was so stormy that she was not able to reach it, and returned 

 on the 8th October. The weather moderating, she resumed her voyage, and on the 18tli 

 landed cattle and supplies, and immediately left, taking with her, beside her crew of nine 

 men, a son of one of the staff on the island. But she was never heard of more. Communi- 

 cation is now maintained chiefly by the government steamers, which, of course, are more 

 regidar and certain. Several times the question of establishing a connection of the island 

 with the mainland by telegraph has been discussed, Imt nothing has yet been done in the 

 matter. Of late attempts have been nnxde to establish comnmnication by means of car- 

 rier pigeons. These have been partially successful. One sent from the island, picked up 

 by a sailing vessel and forwarded to Halifax, brought intelligence of a wreck which other- 

 wise would not have been heard of for probabh' two months. 



The annual expense to the Dominion government for the maintenance of the estal)lish- 

 ment is about $5,000, and we need not say that none of its money is spent on a worthier 

 object. 



VIII. Physical History of the Island and its Probable Future. 



Tlie geological history and structure of this island is not positively known. But there 

 is reason to believe that the scries of banks, of one of which Sable island firms the summit, 

 are based on an ancient ridge of i-ock parallel to the shore. This could only be ascertained 

 by deep boring, and it would be of interest to science that such should be undertaken. AVe 

 confine our attention to the physical changes which the island has undergone within the 

 historic period, particularly as bearing upon its probable future. The fa<-ts on this subject 

 have been so industriously collected by Mr. S. I). McDonald, that we shall do little more 

 than present the information given in his paper.' 



On the early charts of our coast compiled and corrected from those of the French, and 

 published in 1775, the island is rciircsented as lying between 60' 05' and 60 ' 45' west long., 

 or as forty miles in length and two and one-quarter in breadth. In 1799 a special survey of 

 the island was ordered by the admiralty. It was very elaborate and complete, the chart 

 representing five hundred soundings round the island. This resulted in locating the island 

 between 60 ' 01' and 60 32' west long., its length being only thirty-one miles and its lircadth 

 two miles. This would show a decrease of nine miles. It represents the west end as thir- 

 teen miles farther east and the east end as four miles farther in the same direction than did 

 the older chart. This difference may be owing in part to imperfect observations, Init there 

 can be no doubt that in the intervening period a material diminution of its area had taken 

 place. 



A survey of the island proper was made in the year 1808 by order of Sir George 

 Prévost, then governor of Nova Scotia, by Lieut. Burton. He reported it as thirty miles in 



1 ' Proceedings of N. S. Ins:itnt« of Science,' vi., 265. 



Sec. II., 18'J4. 6. 



