SABLE ISLAND BANK BROWNS BANK. 81 



If, in foggy weather, soundings should be struck within the 30- 

 fathom line they will impart confidence in making the coast of Nova 

 Scotia, as the middle of the bank is in about the same parallel as the 

 entrance of Halifax harbor. 



Sable Island bank, surrounding Sable island and lying between 

 the meridians of 59° W. and 62° W., is about 140 miles long, in an 

 east by north and west by south direction, and about 60 miles wide, 

 its southern extremity being in latitude 43° 10' N. 



The depths on the bank vary from 10 to 50 fathoms, sand, the 

 shoalest part of the bank lying northwestward of Sable island. 



A rocky ledge about 250 feet long and 50 feet wide, with a least 

 depth of 2^ fathoms, lies about 21 miles to the northwestward of the 

 western light on Sable island. As the position of this shoal is un- 

 certain, great caution should be used when in this vicinity. 



Emerald bank, about 9 miles westward of the western extremity 

 of Sable island bank, is irregular in form and about 25 miles long 

 north-northwest and south-southeast, and 20 miles wide within the 50- 

 fathom limit. The bank has a general depth of from 40 to 45 

 fathoms, its least depth, 38 fathoms, being at the northeastern end. 



Sambro banks lie with their northeastern end situated about 43 

 miles southeast by south from Sambro island lighthouse and about 

 14 miles nearly west-northwest from the northwestern end of Emerald 

 bank; thence the banks within the 60-fathom line extend about 15 

 miles southwestward ; but the western limit is not clearly ascertained. 

 The general depth upon the banks is from 53 to 57 fathoms, sand and 

 gravel, the least known depth being 49 fathoms. A gully about 5 

 miles wide penetrates from the westward between Sambro banks and 

 the Sambro ledges, the gully having depths from 100 to 112 fathoms. 



La Have bank. — The northeastern shoal plateau of this bank, 

 with from 45 to 50 fathoms, sand and stone, is 30 miles in length, 

 north and south, by 18 miles broad, the northern end being about 

 east nearly 60 miles from Baccaro point. Another bank, with 45 

 to 50 fathoms, exists, 20 miles to the westward of the southern end of 

 the above, from which it is separated only by a shallow gully with 

 from 50 to 60 fathoms. 



Roseway bank. — The shoalest part of this bank, with from 31 to 

 40 fathoms, stone and pebbles, is about 11 miles in length, and its 

 center is on the same parallel as Cape Sable lighthouse and the 

 northern end of La Have bank. Between the 60-fathom lines of La 

 Have and'Eoseway banks there is a deep channel, with from 70 to 

 100 fathoms, whilst inshore Roseway bank is connected by a narrow 

 neck with the 60-fathom line of the bank extending along the coast. 



Browns bank, within the 50-fathom line, is 55 miles in length, 

 with an average breadth of 15 miles. It lies to the westward of, but 



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