SABLE ISLAND. 415

The legislature of Canada have this year agreed, in conjunction with the other colonies, to erect a light- house on this dread spot, which will, doubtless, be the cause of saving thousands of lives, besides a vast

amount of property. The Isle of Sable, long terrible, and often fatal to

Donald Mackay, the owner, and some other passengers, and the master and crew, twenty-six in number, left the harbour of Three Rivers, in Prince Edward Island ; and as the ship was observed off the coast of Cape Breton, near Cheticamp, during a snow-storm on the 27th of December, it is probable she struck in the night on St Paul’s Island.

In the month of May following, (no account having before been received of the vessel,) it was reported that some fishermen had discovered the wreck of a ship, and a number of bodies, on St Paul’s Island. On this report, a schooner was dispatched thence from Charlotte Town, the people on board of which found the wreck of the Jessie, and the bodies of eleven men, who must have perished by the intense cold soon after landing ; the remainder of the crew, it is likely, were either washed overboard by the surf, or lost in attempting to get up the cliff. The bodies of Mr Mackay and the master were carried to Charlotte Town; nothing could be more melancholy than their funerals, which were attended by the greatest concourse of people ever known in Charlotte Town to accompany the remains of any person to the mansions of the dead. I had for some years enjoyed the friendship of this gentleman. I was one of the last that parted with him on leaving the island; and six months afterwards I saw his body laid in the grave. When I say that few men have left the world more regretted by his acquaint- ance, that in his manners he was truly a gentleman, and that he pos- sessed, in an eminent degree, all the kind and good qualities which gain the hearts and the esteem of men, no one who knew him will say that I exaggerate. He was born in Scotland, served his Ma- jesty for some years, was taken on the coast of France, and de- tained ten years a prisoner in that country.