ST. JOHN: SABLE ISLAND. 13 
of the plunderers, saying, "Notwithstanding those two Proclama- 
tions, the love of Money, which is the Root of all Evil, is so deeply root- 
ed in the Hearts of some Fishermen, that they have sundry Times 
Stole our Cattle and our Goods, regarding neither the Laws of God 
or of Man, neither Justice to me, or Humanity to Shipwreck'd Men, 
which by their ^Yickedness they endeavor to Starve, and minding 
neither natural or revealed Religion and their eternal Damnation, 
nor even their own temporal Interest, which is certainly not to hin- 
der but to promote the abovesaid Settlement, since it may l)e their 
Case one Time or other to be cast away upon the Island Sables, and 
to want there those Things which they have carried off." 
In the year 1746, the Due d' Anville, in his expedition against the 
British colonies, was overtaken by a severe storm near this island and 
lost a transport and a fire-ship. 
In 1753, Le Mercier published a detailed notice of Sable Island.' 
It is really an advertisement, by means of which he hoped to sell the 
island, so we must understand and discount the very rosy light in 
which it is portrayed. As the article is of very considerable interest, 
and as it is not readily available to all readers, it seems worth while 
to quote it here in its entirety. 
"TO BE SOLD by me the Subscriber 
"(Andrew Le Mercier, Pastor of the French Church) 
"The Island Sables. 
" The Publick hath here a short description of it for nothing. 
" Said Island is situated at the Distance of about 40 Leagues from 
Halifax, thirty from Cape Breton, and 50 from NeufovncUand; a good 
Market for the Produce of the Island, Cattle & Roots of all sorts. It 
is about 28 Miles long, one IVIile over, and contains about 10,000 Acres 
of Land, 500 of which are quite barren, all the rest produces or may 
bear something. Their are neither River or Brooks or fresh Water, 
but everywhere even upon the Beach you may come to fresh clear 
Water by digging about 3 feet, by which means the root cf the Grass 
is always kept cool and alive, so that it cannot be much subject to a 
Drought, as it was experienced three Years ago. The Climate may 
be called temperate, for as in Winter the Snow hardly lies above three 
' Le Mercier, Andrew: Tlu> Lsland Sable?. Boston Wfckly Ncnvs Letter, 
February 8 (1753). 
