aortic.

V VOL. 22.

(here the .N'autt'¢el .Uugssi'ne end Nasal Chronicle.)

srrrorrr on saute’ i‘et.Arto. IN rm: A't‘l.AN'I'lC ocean. , at car . is. w. savrtunn, it. it.

Sable Island was discovered very‘ barly In the sixteenth century. and although the strong and irregular currents around its formidable and-hers. together with the prevalent fogs, soon made it the dread sf navigators, it appears nevertheless, to have been not irnl'requent- I visited. in those early tirrres, by the Portuguese, re’ , and

glis eriryg ettle ad swtrre e mid to have been landed

ii. at: there by the Baron de Lery in I518, Ind by the Portuguese in I558.

. wants eeudrpiation : the second was so (.3 audited. the eed Sir llirmphrey Gilbert to visit the is- tnd in I588. in of obtaining supplies. lle, however, folltd so cattle on the island, and hrsvin lost one of his three ves- gdsna its dangerous here, he sailed for a land with the other two. let this distinguished half-brother of Sir alter Raleigh. .celebra- tail for the virtues of public and private life, was destined never ."is to behold the land of his birth; for his vessel. the Squirrel‘ r in p violent eterui which she encountered on the passage hsins, and sl on board perished !

ls Ills, the Marquis de la Roch leaded forty convicts on the is-

Thebstof tlie_se_re trti u

had, of when twelve only were foulrid alive at the end of seven

(tough the total wreck of a French ship supplied tbetn witlt some ' ' end also with the materials for the hats that prevented II from perfibing from want of shelter in the tint winter, yet ieeitiy-eight of these miserable people appeared to have perished his the ditliculty of subsisting so large it company upon the walrus, s-ls, huh, and berries. which formed their only food, and which ‘srriust have been exceedingly dilficult If therefore, thereports of cattle having been previously landed on Ilre islun htrue, they most have been exterruiiiuted before these urrfortu- sate people urrived there. It is, however, certain, that they were ed very soon afterwards, and that they multiplied exceed- iagly, for in I635, the number of horned cattle on the island, was wtiuiitted at 800 head. it is said, that the island was several times stocked with cattle, us humane provision for the shipwrecked; but that uotwitlrstand- ‘q their rapid increase, the danger of remaining long nerir the is- knd, and lrrtt_4-rl a proclamation of the Governor of Nova Seoiia ferbiddin them to be killed, they were as often extirpitad by on- inaipl persons, who hunted them kl‘ their hides and tallow. At but they were replaced by the resent race of wild horses, but trhen, or by whom. designedly or accidentally from wrecks. is not known. llaliburtcti, from whose interesting history of Nova Sco- tia l have drawn most of the foregoing particulars, states, tltat there was for many years ‘ a small herd of wild hogs on the island. icb becanre exceedingly fierce, but that the climate which had always restricted Iteir increase, finally overcame them altogether, whole having perished during an unusuitliy severe winter. it aha suited, tlnrt these creatures, from their or-.c.isioiriilly feeding an the dead bodies that came on shore from wrecks, were regarded rrithtbe Iltlrost horror and distrust, and that the were not re- placed in consequence. In addition to the horses, inglish rnbbits, laud rats have beeti introduced, and have multiplied exceedingly. The rate vvliicli have come on shore from wrecks, ced upon the rabbits, and keep down their numbers; whilst they themselves rish in_vast numbers from the climate during severe winters. ’ e a serious inconve- afi stuns of

ey nevertheless remain so" trainer-one as to nieiice in winter, wh'en tbey swarm about the houses the establishment. ' ' V

There do not appear to have ever been any ind" enous quadru- peds,—for the black foxes, that were formerly und on the is- lsnd, and have long since disappeared, mest robably came on shore originzilly from drift ice; several inetaiicee of bears and foxes having landed on the island from ice, liaviii occurred in cosiipara tivi-I recent times; utlirrdiug an interesting example of the irroile inw iclrupecies brrve been istriba , and eoiiveyed to habita- tions apparently the roost unlikely, notwithstanding the obstacle presented by a w‘ s expanse of intervening sen. When we con- sider the number of such instances. that itrust have occurred in the course of sunny centuries, our surprise will probably be excited more by the paucit ofanrrunl life on an island of such extent,’ and atfordiug such atiip u ineaiis of subsistence, at the time in its disco- it would have been by its abundance. did we not per- ceive in the absence of rocks and trees, ‘the want of that slielter from the clinntic, and from natural eirernies, which ‘would be in- dispensable for the preservation many species. l'roiii t!r«: co-ii rneneeinent of tlio sixteeiitlr ceirttary to this thy, uhrpvvriicks up- pear to h we liesn frequent on lltl-I islrin l, for at that early pirriod of American History, the valuable and eateiisrve fiuhorree, the tar trade with the lndians, the desire to intr uce the gospel find to (am, ..u|,,,,,,...g,, 3.. mg new world, seem all to lrnve combined in promoting that spirit of enterprise and love of adventure so chri- racieristic of the age.

Hence numerous voyages were undertaken, many of which were to various parts ufllretoir Island, Nova Scotiu, and the Gulf of St. lawreece. Cnnseiiu. now cause Harbour, seiiiiis from the tirst to bare been much freqtreiited. ospiieially by the l-‘rem:li:—doubt- lfiso also was the lltresage de l"oiisac. now the Gut iv ‘anso :- uuil liable lsluiid. .vvitb lle furuiidtihle lung bars. lies directly in the way of vesiols passing between those places, and the ports of hu- rope and Newfeai lurid. _

lit the following century the island appears to have been much frequented by the New |'2ngl.iiid rind French tislierrnen, for walrus, as well as seals and tisli. ‘l‘lie walrus, whose teeth were exceed- ingly v.ilu.ible. are now seldoiir seen; brii seals still visit the island periodically inconeideruble rrurtvbera, and are taken by the people of the estalilishiireut. As the trade between Europe and the Arne- ' ricati colonies increased, so also did the tiurirlier of sliiptvrocks, until at last Sable Island became the terror of seamen. 'lhe trade of Nova Scotin sufl'ered so grentl , th.rt, in l80l, measures were sdopted the Government and .egielature of that colony fer the relief and retrieval of shipwrecked persons, rriid for preventing the plunder of the wreelts. Hence the origin of the present huuinne estaililislinieat. so-creditable to the colony; and for the support of

' British Government has borne,rin equal share of ilie e_x- pens, since I821. .'l'lie necessity for uucli an estiiblisliiirent will appd! evident. if eve try to imagine the dreadful llltIt!I'y,.V\llIt'h tn have been repeetedly endured by the shipwrecked, ihiiing the runny dreary winteresrfthe thrpe intervening centririi-,s, train the discovery of the island to the forinuliou of this oviaion for the un- . Many fatal shipwrecks occurred, tiring that long pe- of which no record was left, but the bones of the lost ! These

are exposed to view from ti_riie to tints, by the action of the winds ‘and waves a ii the loose sand. of which the island is composed. A dreadful exainple of this is recorded in the JVttuls'cal Magazine

' This vo age is full of intcrest,.l'rorn the circuiretanee of Nrwf-iiriil- land being t on possession of, the discovery that was by it and the events which it led.’ 'lhe .IlII[)l(Il‘l’IVE(l at Penguin, new I":ogvIo’). lh.I|‘dr,‘:f|tl wt-rrt K sou .' I N ‘W “ t'u J -. rttoi pnneeierio cw niunii art] riirriliveffy rrtufl"ii=h rd veuele) be foeul re, particularly

and sickness broke out in his tli-ct,

those of the I’ortegIseee. Iiniey . Vlllk l" -"'- 19"" ‘"3’! ‘W W"! "°"’ hm "° "'|°d “‘ """'d' i ii more than about two miles. their vrlinlr dis- 0f3"l’l°" [5“l’l°l lmdi ‘*9 'd“°h l” W?‘ ‘°l,‘l an‘ ll” P°“"3"'~"° hm] tnrrce f the hind being froiir ten to fotirti-an miles, in rough vimtlicr hmlfld ‘Nil’ ml": F" 'l""|!- H“ 'l"P '"'“‘k W ‘ "_"_'““"k- Mfin‘ -west from the island. Tltt-i'c is is pirrruign across the lair [l’'°l’‘l’'3' "5 '|"d “H '°'°"| °f E’ c""' '9" |°"‘ H" '.‘l" in inside, four or live milila broad, with three or four fiitlronis of writer. nriral was savory, and went on a small vessel of his llcct, the Svyssun lim ,8". ‘gm, ,_,",,,y_,,,, y,..,,_ ,,,, nun, ,, ,,,,,i . 9,,"- "’f MW" '9'"! ''‘‘l ‘|”'l'“ ll" °°"° hf r""h"d‘ 3'" h‘""“ p“"°d ofhigh bind has been washed uvvnv which avr-rages rather better than A i I “'97 '9" " ' ‘Wm; ‘mi ‘he 'm"" one-sixth ofa mile every yair. lo the hut lew yrtirs it is nearer to one-

the sores in air . ll _ vessel, in which the admiral erutuied. lhuntleierl, with all on board. ' llliuu-y of Vovugss into the

'1' Regions the folavri pe—ga arracsrnmg II‘ I! y Gilb:-t. frern |;rince‘e Wortbieu of on. ‘Ila was an excellent by- .,,d m i 4’ high and daring

I . apint_ n.....,',i. not aq_uIy_ ironed by fortune: yet its large voliiinc of his

be read his nu& ' the t design whereof 3'37: the ii.-note «suing. Anrelica, er bias on’ those ' ii-al the etfleeeiag

age 1' fiery sliahol , to ' the gospel of vleur lst;, which, his seat deesrveeti raul i-sgsgtg-u..."1'aaday_,,ore svsssslleeitdsvedlifishuvlqveiau vererlfrenbsi by---tilt siursgsiaam a tilts . s-II-dc--rs-Mom evs ,- fitwdue ébsuveuhsvaeshyb-I9".

for INS,’ wherein is related the discovery of the remains of_a p. of the 48rd regiment, under Ma’ r Elliott. which. together with the hate the had constructed out o the wreck. had been buried undu- the send ille for nearly a century. The transport in which they had embarked was never heard of until this discovery, and was sup. posed to have foundered at sea.

The average nuiriber of wrecks on the island for some years past has been about two each year; but the superintendent informed tne, that this conveys but an inadequate idea of the loss of life and pro.

erty; for there is frequent evidence of the loss of vessels on the orig bars, aflera long continuance of fogg weather. Of these unknown vessels the only records are the resh fragments of the wreck and cargo, or the drowned bodies of the crew.

The ition of Sable Island was first determined with an e- tenuion to accuracy, by Admiral Sir Charles 0gle‘u efiicars, (Messrs. Jones 81 Jsncey), in I629, and the Admire ty charts were cer- rected accordingly. The correction llrowsver, seems not to have been generally adopted, and the discrepancies, artiounting to up. wards of twenty miles of longitude, between the corrected and uncorrected charts, seems to have added in some cases to the just apprehension with which the island has been regarded.

Hence it became desirable to verify its position, and the result of our observations for that purpose is as follows :—

Latitiide North. Longitude \Vest. 9 I n 9 I p

The west lla ll‘ near the princi-

prtl estub ishrireiit 58 43 80 I 19 The west extreme of the Grassy

Surrdhills 43 56 53 C0 9 00 The iiorth-east extreme of the .

Grassy Srindliille I3 59 05 59 45 0.15

he Ion itude is here given under the assumption, that llalifnx

There appears to have been no change whatever in the north-east end of the island since 1829; nor any material change, according to the statements of Caytaiu Darby, and the people on the isliiiid, ittnce the cotirnreecenieut of the present century. Further back rrll N ‘f"_"J9¢l‘Jf9. the island being then without inlrnbit.-ints, rind its position uridetnrinined. How long, therefore, this lrrt-gtalur, yet cuirstunt waste of the land, at its west en ' ' ltninvn; but if it has continued during the wltole of the three and a half centuries, that have elapsed since its discovery. the island must originally have extended he end the extremity of the north. W9“ Pl". where there is new a epth of 10 fetlroiris of water, at the distance of seventeen miles from the present west extreme of the Grassy Sand-lrille. Neither is this very iinprobrrble, for the north-west bar, II. reported to have become longer of late years, in proportion as the island has shortened.

_ he are are said to be ‘travelling ’ to the northward, and the isliirid to become aunnnlly niirrower and lriglii.-r; but there is no suflicieritdasta either to prove or disprove these assertions in the absence of any regular survey oftlie island before the present year. If, however, we were to titkc the height of the '.-laud-bills as usually stated, and compare it with the real elevation above the see, we should be compelled to say, that the islnn bu-om. lower; but no reliance can be placed on such estimations, or rather they are almost always exaggerated.

_ \Vhetlier the present waste of the island be owing to any change in the currents, or to a gradual subsidence of the bank, of whic the ulaiid is the summit, inlet 'at present therefore, be mere conjec- l|||'O; but if the letter be the true cause, as seems by no means pro- bable, their the narrowing oftbe islsird would follow as a necessary corraequetice. The early navigators of the sixteenth century, were not reiiiurkiiblc for accurate or full descriptions. They have sup- plied III with no sufficient data to judge of such questions: but their casual and very general account of the island, would lead us to suppose it reduction of its length not improbable; w‘lrilst it indicates

5 5 = is Q E : : I

T tablet in the docltyard,.is in 63° 95’ I9-V’ W , an will be subject

on correction to which the latter may lrerenfter be found liable. . The liititinle mar be to” too far. north. that being the usual error I‘ of the instrument, when observing the sun or stars to the south- ward, buttliis is of no iniportsiicc to seamen.

The osition above given, is substantially the same as that of Sir c|,;,.»|" t)gle‘aiitfit:erir, the only material. ditlisrsnce being in the west extreme of the Grassy Sirrrdlrrlls, which was found to b two miirutes I8 seconds longitude lurtlrer east from llnlifax Dock-yard observatory; ulrowing nir_avenrge annual diminution in the length of [hg iglunil, 0.1 of lorigrtiidc, or 73 fathoriia of distance, duriirg the twenty-three years from I829 to test.

This confirms the statements. of Captain Derby and Mr. Kenna, the former and present superintendent concerning the continual r wirsliing away of the west end oftbe island. of which is remarkable instance is related by Captarii Darby, to have occurred in 1811, and recorded in the Nautical Magazine for l838.f

’ Tutu, September 17th, l8l2.—Tlie Halifax Papers published the followiiw sin iil:tr t ist-over :- ”rlIlllul\\'ilIg fiti-ts have been made ltnown to us by a gentlr-m.-in of has had his infiriraition frorn tlii-. best nuilinrii —-vi1., Cuplnlll Ilarhy, ecn., ttnyerrior [as he is culled] of Sulrle l.‘l.Il|‘. . For the last twenty-live or thirty yv-rirs t r-re r.ts la-i-ii is large rnoitnil or py. mrniil of srtiid, itlroilt I00 feet high, on tlie_rslaird, and not very far ti-mu the residence of llnpttiiir Ditrliy. ' ' to win. a for eoirrr yours lravo from gr-adurrlly diminishing its liieight, and after Ill si~vci'c blow some w,.,.k, since, it wise compli-tely lilowri away, and singulzir‘ to any, it itiii.ila'r of sinull liouses, ltuilt of tiirrlior rind planks of a vessel, were ipriir. visible, Uri exiaiirinutiuu they were fouriil to coiitaiit I miirilter of articles nffurrii- turo and stores, [rttt up in butter. ‘l i I were inisrltcd ‘ 43i 4 imgmf the boxes or cases were perfectly rotten, and would not admit of their

hci removed. A bi-ai's;.d‘t:g,-ciind was vee, iliearvereil by C3,... ' . , bmngtir so to ' '1" , no t... liihns -l3d Regirnultt.—[.Huli& Hctulrl.) 3' inn" W

Adilrcssiirg the editor of the ' l alifau ' _ appearing at the bass he hill, alieut two miles lt_rrir., iaiiil :i).ty or severity feet high, lying parallel with the south end «it the islaiiil, the eastern and iii wlrim bill is about liltv-live that high. coir-red with grass and other Vr'g(‘lAlli.n, ,,h,~,.,; 1,,-,-m,».¢lii-cc feet above tlielevrloftlir it'll; llll'Il' rnusu zrppi.-rs." an nlswcist‘ away with "I? airli-in of the win.ls._ 'l'tton: rippcsrri-tl at llltlrtt niiinoruiis blllllllfi’ of lriiil, a great f||lrl|ll('|' ol ririlrtzrry aliases, parts of Ir.-ll.-; ,,f1,[,,,,|“.,_, amt cloths, brars poiiits of sword si_~:iltli:ml.-, bi-o.’-v.nx, a small glass, cum-.-x an lrotlr sides, is copper‘ he'll-pciiny of ts‘i-org.-. ll., i ,g[(5il 1149, some inilittiry bra.-s l)rickle_s, it great IIllflll')t‘|' ufbr-..g. Np. ,. inst, n \'l't'\' siiritll ilo'_{‘s limits collar, with ' dlzrjer Elliott, -till i-iagi.-m,-.3,’ t-iizgmvi-i tin it, iitinicrous lrorit-s, satiric who - and sonic ltrirki-ii, with the scalp nfli rir and lit~nil-tlr't-as ufzi yinirig Iorrralc, rt pIi:t‘e ul‘ -_;«rl.l lranil. ’|‘|ii-rie are three buildings, which u'r'(‘|ll to llflrc l)P4‘ll c-m.~.!i'irt:i.-il til" the fragtnrrits of some ship; they are rrrtiizrte illlutl'l tori ft.-1-tupnI'l. ill at trian- gular lii|'lIl, rtnrl :irr- ti~ir to tivtzlve fact iiqitarc. ‘

f \Ve ipi-no tlie pirssttgc allii led to here by Ctitrtain

or only an iiiti-.re.-rut-.; tr. it in the lllhlllfy the t .n , to accoti.it t'-ir tlrv ililll-reiittc in the lluslll-Ill! til the t:XtI‘i'llll.‘:l of l.:n.l in ililft-reirt charts alltuleil to It I cnrnsptmiltxnt, '1‘. It‘. Nztulttftlf Mizazim, for Novrnibt-r rst, ( 2. (H5), who will percr-ivi-,tlriit of the poi-iti-iris he iptotcd for it, None‘: chart is the nearest to Captain lluvti-r-|il's.—l-'.ri.

On the 30th ufiepti-.mher, 1811, there was a severe gale of wind from S. S. l'}., tlint wariltetl tawny all ol the dry part ut _Ilio iiovtlr west liar, cxtctrrlitig four miles and ti lrirlfrrirlh-tvr-at fi'o_iii the lll ,r1i;iii't oftlic island, and lialfa mile liroiiil. The greater part til i. was cuvcrv wit r |,7t’a.~rs, and on the outer part of it was it lrill clcvatcil ttlioiit twriity-five or tliiriy feet above the lI'.VI‘l of the s.-.:r, on \\ iirttli the iI'1gI";,' and soil: at‘ it lrrig that was wri-cki~-l there that siivnrircr were p|.ici:il for safety; but these were all lost, rvlit-rr it was '4 zitv-if. . ' 'lwri- ' now, over the rtllltlc extent of ll‘.l|', four or frvt- litlli tins of watt-r. . The era has been rrilircing the Wcllli't‘Itt'lIil built since and before that time, at the rate of nearly one- riixth nfn mile itiinIi:illy. _ _

Earsit-rlv, mittlri-i-ly, and S. S \V. vvinrls, set it rapid currr-rrt along shore in slroitl water. to the-. N. N. \V. and N. \V.; that is, along the shore of the western coil trftlte ieliiird, but not the ¢:|:‘lcl'|I or l"ltl4llt', :: there the current. with soutlri-rly zuril .~i>ritlr-is trinils, sets to the cast wart The iuitiiral tciiilttrwy ot the ‘lIIIhl'li'l(5 is toward the rots-.'t. \\‘li.'n it striltce tlre isltrriil, it ilirws to the eiistrrzirrl, over the ltorllt—e.srt lmrlt, mid to the wt-etwitril over the hurt -wt-st an , and priests: the west mid 'u u n rth-west direction, so rnpiill that it crirriestlie rand tiitli ii; and the hills of the west end being lt' ll and narrow. . ur -rrnii t their linso by it and tttmlilu down some tliousariila of tone of s-.iii«l- at a time. This, the ctirreiit l)(‘Ilt'l|lll cntchi-it and sweeps away to the nonli- vri*.st,incr1-iisingllio hank. As lot)“ in this (‘llI'|'6lIl. pzissi.-it llio t'Xll’v‘tllQ point of tho ilry ll\l', it tends more nitrous tlit- llélll. to the nortli—c:ist, thi- irriitiort oftbe sea corrrrihiitiixg to keep the sand in iuutioir; the tztirrt-itt carries it to the‘. iioitlr~i.ast, and r'|tl't"e\|l-‘ to tlii- norlli-itt-st. Although tat-miis the latiilt front tlii-. isiiiiid, to the iliszrr-in-. oflil won I t"Q-irzy miles to the rrortlr-wt-st, lllllfl‘ is it flood and club tivls-, tlic tlooil netting to the N. N. ISL. the (‘hi’) to tho 3. S. \V., this lloutl i:oritt:u over it rout rt.

en one-d this rinnoiinceincrit.

3. .-

flayfir-l.l, or it is but ' .-ii uni-s tar Sgilile ls-

the lam ; rand riaiirg iiltovc it, passes over and lI|l‘|'l'Rll'l

, merely levelling the ltllhl that lirttl been hrmrglit up by the Ins . It does not carry it It‘ until the next is .s, w "t- lrri ' ripe fr-~sh supply front the w-.isliinI,; of the islaitil: and so alternate-

‘ henizcs with every tleoil and ishli tidu. 'l‘ltci‘unseipseitt-e is, that : i the west c is .-ever‘. rrii to the cristiva l in where it was infill -3 yet, the slioulest or eastern part of the bar or beiilt, has the some la-.ti-ing born the dry land that

It hail their, which plraiulv shows that the her and birnlt lritve itwrcasi-tl eastward as fast as

the iriland bus decree in the same dirt.-ction. llirt the distance of the ntstcr bn.-alu-rs

r,,,,n|, of. mu. ""7 ya“, owing to the larril lzing riirsrh narrower than I was t their years of the i-lapsed time. The whole of the island pm ,|,,,. not wash up; , grows in height; the most windy seasons must: the test elevutieu e here uiaisil can be blown on to them;

nooliservable ditfereuce in its nature or form, or in its itiiiri re- latively to the nerglibouring continent of Nova Scotia, from the nelareet point of which, (while llead), it is distant about eiglity-five I es.

. Our trigonomctricel survey will however, supply all that is want- ing, for estimating in future the auntie waste of the island ' lellltlht breadth or height; airy changes that may take place iii the position of the most reiirzirlrable Sand-laills, in the opening, closing, or filling up of the long pond, and in the length and direction of the forrriidsblc lori- bar .

The prcseutlength of the island, from the extremities of the Grassy Sand-hills at either end, is sixteen and two-thirds nautical miles in it direct line oftrue bearing. N. 82“ 22‘ ‘ seven. lee"-Illtl-ll-quarter nautical miles, if we follow the curves of its. shores. lie eatrr-mellirr.-rtdth is exactly one Illlie. It is formed of ,‘“'° "°,’“'l! l’“_"‘”*9l ridges ofsantl, iilrtped like it how, and rrrei.-tin in it unit at either end. It is wholly or partially covered with grass rm’ “°“"‘l”'“bl" 'l‘~‘¢"9. in others scooped out bv the winds into bare crritirr-slraped bellows; or hove up into Saul-liilla, atliriniiig the extruirie QlK‘\'l|ll0l| of seventy-five feet above the son at righ writer. lietvvcerr these ridgosa long pond, in some parts two-lve fee-It deep, extcirds from the west end for u distarrce of eleven