St. Paul's Island, located in the channel between Cape Breton and Newfoundland, was a frequent hazard to shipping. So many ships stranded there that the government of Nova Scotia established a manned lifesaving station there with supplies for shipwrecked mariners. In the spring of 1834, four ships were wrecked there at the same time. Then..... Montreal Gazette, August 30, 1834 LIVERPOOL, July 24. The Spring Hill, [captain] Auld, from Quebec, off St. Paul's picked up Joseph Stirling, one of the two men stationed on the island to render assistance to ships wrecked in the neighbour- hood, and to dispense provisions to their crews. He had been blown off in a gale of wind the day before in a small skiff, without any provisions or water and was in great danger of perishing in the gale. So, assuming this incident took place around the end of June, it would have been nearly two months before news reached his family that he was safe. Similar unexpected trips sometimes happened to pilots if the weather conditions prevented them from being picked up from outbound ships. However sometimes the involuntary traveller could be transferred to a westbound ship, avoiding the transatlantic round trip. -- Harry Dodsworth Ottawa Ontario Canada af877@freenet.carleton.ca ----------------------------------------------------------------