[PATTERSON] SIR HUMPHREY GILBERT'8 EXPEDITION 



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water. But it has not the land-locked character which appears to have 

 belonged to the place from which these vessels made their way to sea. A 

 vessel might enter on a west northwest course and depart by a north 

 northeast course clear of all such shallows as described. 



A circumstance may be mentioned here which, perhaps, has some 

 connection with the subject. At this point some fifty or sixty years ago, 



a hooped cannon was found embedded in the mud off the shore below low 

 water mark. At the same place was also found an anchor of very ancient 

 form, and there are reports, which I have not been able to verify, that 

 other articles remain embedded in the stiff clay of that part of the shore. 



These could have no connection with the French fortifications at Louis- 

 bourg for they did not begin their works of that kind till after the cession 

 of Nova Scotia in 1713, long after guns of that construction had been 

 superseded by those made of cast metal. Moreover they were found at 



