406 CAPE BAULD TO CAPE ST. JOHN. 



The shore trends south-southeastward, ^ mile from AVestern head 

 to Virgin point, and thence generally southwestward; it is high, 

 wooded, and broken into rocky coves. Virgin rocks, a cluster of 

 rocks drying 2 feet at low water, lie about 200 yards southward of 

 Virgin point. Breakheart cove, about y% mile southward of Virgin 

 point, is the largest of the coves, but it does not aiford anchorage. 

 From Breakheart point, the high wooded shore continues to Garden 

 cove, directly opposite the northeastern end of Sops island, and here 

 the shore becomes steep and cliffy for a short distance, when it is 

 broken into the three small coves known as Grassy cove. Schooner 

 cove, and Batts cove. These coves, together with f mile of cliffy 

 shore, of which Hauling point is the southern end, form the north- 

 western side of Xorth channel leading into Sops arm. (See p. 407.) 

 Sops island, which is 3| miles long in a northeasterly and south- 

 w^esterly direction, 1^ miles wide near its southwestern end, and I 

 mile wide at its northeastern end, fronts the western shore of White 

 bay, eastward of Sops arm. The summit of the island is 700 feet 

 high, and its southern and southeastern coasts rise steeply from the 

 sea in bare rocky slopes and gullies, while its northern and north- 

 western coasts are of less elevation and densely wooded. 



The northwestern coast, which forms the southeastern side of 

 North channel, is broken into bays and coves, and at Sops cove, sit- 

 uated ^ mile from the northeastern end, there is a small settlement 

 where a little fresh meat and some vegetables may occasionally be 

 obtained in the autumn. There is also a small settlement at Gills 

 cove, on the southeastern coast of the island. 



The eastern coast of Sops island is steep-to, but a rockj^ shelf, with 

 6 to 7 fathoms water over it, extends ^ mile off the eastern end of its 

 southern coast. The southern coast, with the adjacent mainland, 

 forms South channel into Sops arm, and it is quite steep-to for 1^ 

 miles westward of the rocky shelf, having 6 to 7 fathoms over it. 

 The coast then turns sharply northward, and at a distance of 800 

 yards in this direction and 200 yards offshore is Shellbird islet, a 

 small island 15 feet high, covered with trees. Here a rocky bank 

 extends from Sops island entirely blocking the passage between it 

 and the islet except to boats. The coast of the island north-north- 

 eastward of Shellbird islet is fairly steep and clear to its north- 

 western point, which bears south-southwestward, distant 320 yards 

 from Hauling point. 



Deep cove, at the western part of the northern coast of the island, 

 is of moderate depth, but it is not recommended as an anchorage. 



Otter cove, the next cove to the eastward, is deep until close to 

 the shore. A rocky head, with 5 fathoms water over it, bears 83°, 

 distant 250 yards from Otter point, the w^estern entrance point of 

 Otter cove. Eastward of this cove there is a small barachois or shal- 



