416 SABLE ISLAND . American navigators, lies about the usual track of vessels bound to and from purope 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 60° 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 abovit 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 . Although the majority of the crews have perished, yet this island has not been quite so destructive of human life as 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 , 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 L .400 a-year to the amount annually granted by Nova Scotia , to support this most humane esta- c