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7i [at top right of letter]
Sable Island 9th Oct 1853
Dear Sir
The Daring has called on her way up from Canso but as today is Sunday and she having to return soon with our supplies I ship nothing this time. I am sorry to inform you that our beaches were strewed with spruce deals yesterday and that I fear some fatal shipwreck happened on the NW bar on the 7th Instant during a violent gale of wind from WNW with frequent rain squalls and a tremendous sea running. At 1 OClock PM on that day we discovered a large vessel off the South side driving Eastward under small canvass but the frequent squalls of rain and spray flying prevented me from making out her rig distinctly. I think however that she was ship rigged, was head to the Northward under close reefed topsails, Main and Mizen topsails aback, fore yard braced up, yet I cannot say positively that such was her rig and position, but know for a certainty that she was square rigged and head to the North. She appeared water logged by her heavy rolling to windward at times. We saw her for two hours when the weather