18 NOTES ON SABLE ISLAND—-MACDONALD. 
sand, forming two parallel ridges united at either extremity. 
It is crescent-shaped, with its inner side towards the coast. 
The valley formed by these parallel ridges extends the 
length of the Island, 8 miles of which is occupied by a lake. A 
narrow ridge separates this lake from the ocean on the south, 
over which the sea breaks in many places during heavy weather. 
According to the last admiralty survey, this Island is situ- 
ated 85 miles from White Head, the nearest point on the Nova 
Scotia coast. The west end is in lat. 43, 56, N., and 60, 08, W- 
long.,—22 miles in length and 1 mile in breadth. ? 
From a northern approach it presents the appearance of a 
succession of low, naked sand hummocks, some partially covered 
with vegetation. Beginning at the west end, those hills or 
hummocks have an elevation of about 20 feet, gradually rising 
eastward, attaining the height of about 80 feet in the vicinity of 
the east end light, beyond which they slope away until they 
meet the N. E. bar, which in fine weather dries for a distance of 
4 miles from the grassy sand hills. About two miles from the 
beginning of this bar, an island is forming over an old wreck, 
and is covered with grass. 
This dry bar is succeeded by 9 miles of heavy breakers, to 
a depth of 6 fathoms, 4 miles further with a heavy cross sea, 
with from 10 to 13 fathoms, and then ends abruptly, the depth 
increasing in a distance of 3 miles to 170 fathoms. 
The N. W. bar dries about 14 miles from the grass hills, 
with patches or shoals nearly dry one mile further out. Then 
9 miles of heavy breakers in fine weather, succeeded by seven 
miles more in heavy weather, when the depth increases from five 
to ten fathoms, and where there is a great ripple and a heavy 
cross sea. The whole extent of this bar is 17 miles, beyond 
which the water gradually deepens. 
Thus we have the Island, with its bars in bad weather, a 
continuous line of over 50 miles of foaming breakers, producing 
the most terrific effect; the Island seeming to shake to its 
foundation as the whole body of the Atlantic breaks upon it. 
In addition to this bar, at either extremity there are three 
submerged bars, or ridges, parallel with the shore on both sides, 
