Several articles that floated ashore off the ships, have made their way into museums across the Province and many more ended up in homes around the area. The ”Minnie Cordon”, whose master was Michael Corman, was one such shipwreck recorded in 1883. Another was the llSpanking Breeze”, believed to have been Russian and wrecked at North Cape in those early

years. The Minnie Gordon’s cabin was brought ashore and was

stored, for a number of years, in an old woodshed building. An old ship’s bell mounted on the roof of the old building came from the llHelena”, whose name board and anchor were

salvaged at the time. There was also a night and day telescope made by Spence

and Sons of London, England. Also salvaged was an old desk that was later used by Veronica Perry, the wife of Angus Mac Donald, Canada’s wartime minister of defense for naval affairs, who also served as premier of Nova Scotia. Ms Perry used the desk to teach Henry Hogan and his brothers and sisters when their father, Patrick Hogan, was lighthouse keeper at North Cape. The lighthouse, since 1866, has been warning passing ships of the treacherous reef that claimed the lives of many seamen and taken many ships to a watery grave. It has been moved back six

times to escape going over the cliffs. Today the high cliffs and roads are been undermined at an

alarming rate, pointing to more changes in the near future at North Cape. Before the lighthouse was built, bonfires were lit at night to warn mariners of the dangerous reef. Legend brings with it stories of lights being moved or extinguished to send ships

off course and onto the killer reef. The ships caring precious

128