A VISIT TO SABLE ISLAND 201 



The main station flagstaff on Sable Island is in lat. 43 56' 

 N., long. 60 2' W. The distance of the island from the lighthouse 

 on Whitehead Island, the nearest part of Nova Scotia, is eighty- 

 five miles. 



Sable Island has been compared to a sea-monster with open jaws 

 crouched low on the water, lurking for its prey directly across the 

 line of commerce between the Old and the New World. Its treacher- 

 ous sand-bars, which stretch out from twelve to fifteen miles from 

 the sloping sand-dunes, have wrought more havoc with ocean 

 shipping than any other danger-spot of equal dimensions in the 

 known world. The first wreck -of which we have a chronicle is 

 related in Hakluyt's Voyages (1583). In graphic language and 

 with an unaffected strain of piety, the quaint, old-fashioned chroni- 

 cler relates the circumstances which attended the loss of the Delight, 

 or The Admiral, as she was also called, of the hapless flotilla of 

 that accomplished gallant of the Court of Queen Elizabeth, Sir 

 Humphrey Gilbert. He tells how the brave knight himself went 

 down standing at the helm of the Golden Hind, sorely wounded in 

 his foot, Bible in hand ; how the last words heard from him ere 

 his vessel foundered were that famous message of high courage : 

 ' Heaven is as near by sea as by land '. 



The writer cannot forbear quoting the historian's simple and 

 touching language, in common use during the spacious days of the 

 great Elizabeth, which carries a flavour like the bouquet of some 

 rare old wine : 



' Sabla lieth to the seaward of Cape Breton about 45, whether 

 we were determined to go, upon intelligence we had of a Portingall, 

 during our abode in St. John's, who was also himself present when 

 the Portingalls, about 30 years past, did put into the same 

 island both neat and swine to breed, which were since exceedingly 

 multiplied. 



' The distance between Cape Race and Cape Breton is 100 

 leagues, in which navigation we spent 8 days. Having the wind 

 many times in different good, but could never obtain sight of any 

 land all that time, seeing we were hindered by the current. At 

 last we fell into such flats and dangers that hardly any of us escaped. 

 Where nevertheless we lost our Admiral, with all the men and 

 provisions. 



' Contrary to the mind of the expert Master Cox, on Wednesday, 

 27th August, we bore up toward the land. Those in the doomed ship 

 continually sounding trumpet and drums. Whilst strange voices 

 from the deep scared the helmsman from his post on board the 

 Frigate. 



' Thursday the 28th, the wind arose and blew vehemently from 



