FISHING-GROUNDS 63 



St. Peter's Bank is triangular ; its slope is most 

 abrupt towards the north-west. It contains no holes, 

 which are signs of rapid currents. The plateau rises 

 gradually in a succession of almost parallel contours ; 

 the depth is 50 fathoms on the edge, then 40, then 

 35, 30, and finally, towards the middle, 25 fathoms. 

 The closing up of the fathom-lines between the 50 

 and 30 fathom lines at the north-eastern extremity, the 

 50 and 35 fathom lines at the south, and the 50 and 

 40 fathom lines on the eastern side of the triangle 

 shows that the Cabot current retains its maximum force 

 longer in the depths, and that its rapidity decreases as it 

 nears the surface or flows further south. The structure 

 of the bank is simple : broken shells, sands, a little ooze, 

 and pebbles. The shell-banks are disposed along a line 

 following the eastern slope ; the sands occupy the 

 northern extremity and the southern corner of the bank ; 

 the ooze lodges in the slight depressions, and the pebbles 

 are arranged in parallel belts ; they are plentiful to the 

 north, but rare to the south. 



The Green Bank is roughly egg-shaped. It lies north 

 and south. The line of greatest width is deflected up- 

 wards, as the left branch of the Cabot current is itself 

 deflected, and turns towards the south under the action 

 of the Polar current. The more abrupt slopes are to 

 the north-west and the west. The depth varies from 

 50 fathoms on the edges to 35 in the centre. The 

 sands are found up-stream that is, towards the west ; 

 the shells in the more sheltered depths, down-stream ; 

 the pebbles are collected along the foot of the bank, 

 and form a continuation of those of St. Peter's 

 Bank. 



The Great Bank opens out like a fan from west to 

 east. It is as large as Ireland. Its northern and eastern 



