AMBROSE ON ST. MARGARET's BAY FISHING GROUNDS. 35 



and wider and shoaler at the west. The east end, i.e., as far as 

 our men go, is composed of yellow clay, shells and small blue 

 stones, and affords better cod-fishing than the west end, which is 

 rocky, without the favourite mixture of clay and shells. The course 

 from Peggy's CWe Point to the middle of this Bank is S.S.W., and 

 here, looking back towards Aspotogan, we find the top of that Avell- 

 known hill (a height, by the aneroid, of 410 feet,) just sinking below 

 is our watery horizon. This ridge, extends along the coast from 

 White Point at the Strait of Canseau to Cape LaHave, nearly 

 approaching both these headlands. It is composed — at least that 

 part of it which lies S.S. W. of St. Margaret's Bay, — of slate and 

 quartz. Can it in any way form a sort of connection between the 

 slate and auriferous quartx of Guysboio' and the similar geological 

 formation at the " Ovens," and thus account for the gold Avashings 

 on the shore at the latter place, which are known to wash in from 

 outside, and become more productive after the heavy storms of 

 winter ? 



But to return. On this Bank is found the best cod, ling and 

 halibut fishing off our shore. Here lie at anchor, often for three 

 or four days at a time, our venturesome open fishing boats, directly 

 in the track of steamers and large ships, bound to the United States. 

 A light is kept burning in the rigging all night, hut not unfrequrMtlij 

 all liands, — two or three in number — retire to their little cuddy^ 

 and having put a few sticks of wood into the stove, " turn in" for 

 the night and sleep soundly till daylight, regardless of the steamers 

 or ships, which in the darkness of the night often rush close past the 

 little craft with her spark of a light, — so close, that one Schlagint- 

 weit of Turn's Bay, lying on this Bank, found after his comfortable 

 night's sleep, that some large craft had passed him so closely and 

 rapidly during the night, as to carry aM^ay his schooner's bowsprit, 

 without awakening himself or any of his unconscious crew. 



Here, one of our men, more vigilant, saw a brig in the night 

 bearing down before the wind, right towards his little craft, and it 

 was only by frantically shouting, snapping percussion caps on a 

 musket, and waving fire-brands, that the notice of the brig's crew 

 was attracted, and our poor fellows saved from sudden destruction. 

 Here Tom Tomline, a fat and easy-going La Have skipper, having 

 anchored his " Banker," hoisted a light in the fore-rigging, and 



