The rest were drowned or crushed on the rocks. Location St. Paul Island is at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the Cabot Strait, about 15 miles from Cape Breton and 44 miles from Cape Ray, Newfoundland. The island is three miles long and approximately a mile wide, covered with small spruce whitch gives it a green appearance in all seasons. It is very hilly, the highest being about 500 ft. It is well watered by two lakes on top of the island from which several small streams flow into the Atlantic on the southeast side,and the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the northwest side.
Wild flowers are abundant but there are no snakes, toads, frogs or mice.
The island, whitch is directly in the path of marine travel up the St. Lawrence, was one of the most dangerous points on the Atlantic Coast in the past. More ships have been destroyed on this tiny island than on almost any other island of its size in the world. In the days when wars were waged between Great Britain, France and the United States, privateers often took shelter under the lee of the island. From the high hills they could spy the enemy's ships, bound in or out of the strait. There are many blood-curdling tales of murder and hidden treasure, as well as sad stories of the scores of vessels and the thousands of lives that have been lost on this island.