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Sable Island, July 3, 1844

Most Honourable Sir

In contemplating on the awful occurrence of the Wreck of the Saladin, on the Coast of Nova-Scotia, and all the Circumstances connected with it, brings me to the conclusion that we have Great Reason here to rejoice, at the Merciful Interference of Providence, that has directed her course clear of this place, by which means the Guilty perpetrators of such Horrible Murders, I hope and Trust will be brought to Punishment.

Now most Honoured Sir, had that Ship come here she would probably have taken the Ground so far off, that a Boat would very seldom approach her from the Shore of the Island on account of the Breakers between the Wreck and the Shore and as we have seen this Spring that a Week has not passed without some one of the American Fishermen standing in for the Island, and Literally running along Shore all round it, to see if there was any thing New on Shore, some of those vessels have a Crew of Twenty Men or upwards on board, and are prepared for Plundering, as well as Fishing, and had they found a Wreck here of that Description, they would never have left her whilst there was any thing to be Plundered worth a Cent. and they might Frequently communicate with the Wreck from Sea, when we could not approach her from the Shore, and with the Mutual assistance that they would have received from the Crew It would have been utterly beyond the Strength of the Establishment to have Resisted them, or even I am afraid to have protected ourselves, and it would have completely Facilitated the Escape of the Guilty Crew from Justice, the Melancholy Circumstances that might have attended it, Your Honour can better conceive, than I can describe
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