186 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



land, Lieut. Scambler in command of her, was directed to stop at Sable 

 Island to obtain information, if possible, of the "Francis" or of any other 

 unfortunate vessel that might have been wrecked there during the winter 

 and to land some animals. His official report is as follows : 



" His Majesty's Cutter Trepassey, 



" At Sydney, 17th May, 1800. 

 " Sir, 



" Agreeable to your orders I proceeded to Sable Island, and on Tues- 

 day morning, the 13th May, I went on shore and landed the ewe, goat, 

 sow and two pigs sent by Sir John Wentworth ; after stayingr there 

 nearly an hour without discovering any person on the island, and seeing 

 a schooner at anchor in the N.B. arm, being some distance from the 

 cutter, I returned on board, intending to beat up to where she lay, but 

 the current prevented me. it running at 2| miles an hour S.W. by S. 

 About 4 in the afternoon I discovered her under sail. I immediately 

 weighed, made sail and spoke her ; she proved to be the ' Dolphin ' of Bar- 

 rington, laden with fish, seal skins and seal oil. She had several trunks 

 very much damaged, on board, and appeared to have been washed on shore. 

 One trunk was directed. His Royal Highness Prince Edward, No. 2 ; 

 another trunk directed Captain Sterling of the 7th Regiment Foot, both 

 empty. Also a trunk containing two great coats, the livery worn by the 

 servants of His Eoyal Highness. The master of the schooner informed 

 me that he had two men on the island this winter, on the sealing concern, 

 who had built a hut on the east end of the island. The two men being on 

 board, I learned from them, that about the 2nd December last, after a 

 very severe gale of wind from the southeast a woman was found washed 

 on shore on the southside of the island ; also the trunks before mentioned, 

 twelve horses, two cows, one bull and two sheep all drowned (the horses 

 were shod) and part of three boats, no name could be distinguished on 

 them." 



The pilot who went in the " Trepassey," gave the following additional 

 information received from the men he met on the island. They stated 

 that " on the 2nd December the}^ observed a large snow at a little distance 

 from the northeast bar. She was endeavouring to beat off all this day. 

 The weather was remarkably fine for a winter's day, but the wind was 

 extremely light and baffling, that at night she made no great progress. 

 As the day shut in, the weather began to thicken, and was soon followed 

 by a tremendous gale from the southeast, which continued with extreme 

 violence through the night. In this gale the " Francis" must have been 

 driven on the sands, and in the course of the night have gone to pieces, 

 as neither the snow, or any part of her were to be seen in the morning. 

 Soon after the storm had abated, the corpse of the woman above men- 

 tioned was found. She had a ring on her finger, but not being able to 



