272 SABLE ISLAND—MACDONALD. 
This swirl is no doubt caused by this third current, viz., the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, augmented by that portion of the polar 
that sweeps through the Straits of Belle Isle, striking obliquely 
the other portion of the current in the vicinity of the island. 
It is a well established fact that oblique currents have a ten- 
dency to form eddy or circular currents, and also that eddy cur- 
rents of water pile up material carried along with it, as eddies of 
wind carrying snow build up all manner of fantastic drift. 
In like manner this eddy or swirl current passing overa shoal 
so near the surface heavily charged with sand, on meeting with 
an obstacle, or even in its own vortex, would deposit the material 
held in suspension, thus forming a nucleus of the island. This 
shoal once reaching the surface and coming within sub-aeriel 
influences would hasten land making. 
A beach once formed, the surface exposed at low water, would 
be dried and carried by the wind toa greater height, little by little 
hillocks or sand dunes would form. The waves would push for- 
ward the material on a long reach of bank near the surface, 
gradually the current would be crowded off shore, but still assist~ 
ing to increase the area by depositing its material, which in turn 
would be dried and carried upwards by the wind. At last vege- 
tation appearing the roots would anchor the sumunit. 
Thus the process of land making would go forward so long as 
currents were favorable, 
We have a remarkable instance of this in the formation of 
what has been called the new island off the east-end light. 
An old wreck formed the nucleus around which the current 
piled its material, until a shoal formed, which gradually reached 
the surface and formed a small island. 
At length grass seeds borne from the main island took root, 
anchored its summit and hastened its up-building, 
This little island forming was watched with great interest by 
the surfmen, who entertained the hopes of its attaining such 
dimensions as would afford slight shelter, if only for a moment, 
when passing in the life-boat to a wreck on the N. E. bar. But 
the current that eddied around it became changed or weakened; 
it being left to the attacks of wind and wave and perhaps an 
