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92 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. : 
A 
season. At present bat few halibut are caught, except in the deep — 
water along the southern edge of this ground, where sometimes they 
have been found quite plenty for nearly the entire year. Hake are also 
found in large numbers in the deep water about the borders of the 
ground, and even on the ridges. As a general thing but few vessels 
besides those from Gloucester have made a practice of fishing on Le 
Have Ridges, though a few cod fishermen from other places stop there 
now and then during the summer. 
SAMBRO BANK. 
This bank lies in a westerly direction from the Western Bank, but is 
so small that it is of little importance as a fishing-ground and is but 
little resorted to by American vessels. It lies between 43° 36/ and 43°. 
47’ N. latitude and 65° 40/ to 63° 00’. W. longitude, the greatest length 
being 15 miles and width 11 miles. There is from 50 to 60 fathoms of 
water, and the bottom is mostly sand, gravel, and pebbles. 
WESTERN BANK. 
The Western Bank is one of the most important fishing-grounds in 
the Western Atlantic, considered either as to size or the amount of fish 
taken on it. Lying off the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, it has Le Have 
Ridges on the west, and Bankquereau on the east, from both of which 
it is separated by gullies. The general direction of the bank is WSW. 
and ENE.; the eastern limit is 59° 07’, and the western 62° 27’ W, 
longitude, making the extreme length 193 miles. The southern limit is 
in 42° 51’, and the northern in 44° 46’ N. latitude, the extreme width, 
therefore, being 95 miles. 
On the eastern part of the bank is Sable Island. This is about 20 
miles long and 13 miles wide, and composed wholly of sand, which for — 
nearly the entire length is in hummocks, caused probably by the action | 
of the wind. Off either end of the island are long and dangerous sand- 
bars. The general direction of the island and bars is east and west, — 
although they take the form of a crescent with the concave side on the 
north. The depth on the bars for a distance of from 7 to 10 miles from 
the island does not exceed 2 fathoms, and even 10 miles farther out in> 
an easterly and westerly direction there is not more than 10 or 11 fath- 
oms. Onthe middle ground—a portion of the Western Bank which lies 
in a northerly direction from Sable Island about 25 miles distant—there 
are several shoal spots with from 10 to 19 fathoms on them. 
Asa general rule the bank slopes gradually from the island to the 
south and west, the depth ranging from 18 to 60 fathoms. The gen- 
eral character of the bottom is sandy, but there are patches of gravel 
and pebbles. The currents in the vicinity of Sable Island are occasion- 
ally quite sirong, and generally irregular, being very much influenced 
by the winds. On the greater part of the bank there is usually but 
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