416 SABLE ISLAND.

American navigators, lies about the usual track of vessels bound to and from Europe to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the United States. By late careful observations, its east end is in 43° 59’ north latitude, and in 59‘? 42’ west longitude; and the west point in 43° 57’ latitude, and in 600 17’ longitude. It is little else than a collection of sand rising in hills, or, as the sailors term them, hummocks. One of these is about a hundred feet high, and said to be increasing in size. There is not a tree nor a shrub larger than a whor- tleberry-bush on the island. It produces a strong natural bent grass, and, in the hollows, abundance of cranberries. Its form is that of a crescent, the hol- low of which is on the north side, and consequently the most dangerous. The north-east reef, or bar, is about a mile and a half wide, and extends twenty- eight miles, over the whole length of which the sea breaks in stormy weather. The north-west reef stretches out eight miles. Both have been dreadfully fatal to ships bound to and from North America. Although the majority of the crews have perished, yet this island has not been quite so destructive of human life as St Paul’s. In 1801, the legislature of Nova Scotia, greatly to their honour, passed an act, empowering the governor to make provision for establishing some families on Sable Island, to afford relief to those who escaped from the wrecks, and to prevent plunder. Two years ago, the British go- vernment, on the representation of Sir James Kempt, added L400 a-year to the amount annually granted

by Nova Scotia, to support this most humane esta- 6