92 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



season. At present but 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° 3G' and 43° 

 47' N. latitude and G5° 40' to G3c 00' W. longitude, the greatest length 

 being 15 miles and width 11 miles. There is from 50 to GO 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 EXE.; the eastern limit is 59° 07', and the western G2° 27' W. 

 longitude, making the extreme length 193 miles. The southern limit is 

 in 42° 51', and the northern in 44° 4G' K 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 li 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. On the 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. 



As a general rule the bank slopes gradually from the island to the 

 south and west, the depth- ranging from 18 to GO 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 strong, and generally irregular, being very much influenced 

 by the winds. On the -greater part of the bank there is usually but 



