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- 4

FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA

SECOND SERIES— 1897-98

VOLUME III SECTION IV

GEOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

THE BAY OF FUNDY TROUGH

IN AMERICAN GEOLOGICAL HISTORY

By PROFESSOR BAILEY

FOR SALE BY

J. DURIE & SON. OTTAWA; THE COPP-CLARK CO., TORONTO

BERNARD QUARITCH, LONDON, ENGLAND

1897

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Shction IV., 1897.

[107]

Tkans. R. S. C.

in. — The Bay of Fundy Trough in American Geoloyical IL'sfori/.

By Professor Bailey.

(Read June 23r(l, l.S'JT.)

The fact that a northeastern or Aciuliaii basin, not only physio-
graphically distinct from other regions of tho American continent, but
to a considerable extent independent also as regards its biological pro-
gress, was a feature of that continent even from the earliest Paheozoic
times, was first brought prominently to notice by the late Prof. J. D.
Dana, in the earliest edition (18(JG) of his Manual of (ieology. In that
work the references to this sui)ject, under the heading of "The Kaslern
Border Kegion," were for the most part of a very general character; but
in the last edition of the same work, published thirty-one years later, the
same idea is elaborated in much more detail, and several successive sketch-
maps are presented, emboilying the autiiur's views as to the geographical
evolution of the region to which they refer. As these views have
reference to a most important subject, and are likely to be widely read
and accepted, any facts which may tend to confirm or to modify them
can hardly fail to be of value. It is the purpose of the present paper to
discuss some of these conclusions, especially so far as they relate to New
Brunswick and Xova Scotia, in view of such information as recent inves-
tigations of the latter are calculated to atl'ord.

Among the features which especially distinguish Prof. Dana's latest
presentation of the subject is that of the recognition, among what he
terms "areas of geological ])rogress," of an "Acadian channel," this being
described as embracing the Bay of Fundy, and thence extending easterly
to western Newfoundland, and in the opposite direction along and otf the
New Englanil coast, probably as far as Narragansett bay. This Acadian
trough is further described as persisting through Paheozoic time, and as
being separated, at least during the earlier portion of that time, from
another and more northerly trough — designated " the Gaspe- Worcester "
or " Miiine-Worcester ' trough — by a i-ange of Ai'cluean rocks, possibly
extending across the tiulf of St. Lawrence to Newfoundland ; while to
the south it was delimitetl l)y another Arcluean range, termed the
" Acadian protaxis," occu[)ying, in particular, central Nova Scotia, and
thence extending westerly to Long Island. Finally, in the series of
sketch-maps, to which reference has been made, rej)re8enting the sup-
posed geographical conditions of eastern America in successive periods,
various limits are assigned to the submerged and emerged areas, the Nova
Scotian protaxis being retained in all.

108

llOYAL .SOCIETY OF ( ANAI>A

'riic'^o views would, (licivlorc, make llu- oi'iii'iii nt llio Hiiy ol' l-'iiiidy
ti'oiiii'h, as well us tlu' asMtciutud ridi^-c;s aiul (k'|»ressi()iis. coincidi'iit with
and tiu' rcsidt of the very earliest oroifeine iiioveiiienfs of which we have
aii\- kii<)wledi;'e. and to any oik- interested in the proliaMe history of tins
j.oi'tioii of the eoiiiilry. must lie rei^'arded as of extreme iniportanee. Wo
have now lo in(|niiT how far tluyare in aefordanee with our present
knowlcdii;e.

In tlir lii'.-t plaee il is lo he noliciMJ liiatin I'eeogni/.ini;' twolndtsonly
dt' Aicliaan ro(d<s as traversini;" tlieAeadian hasiii. viz.. that of northern
Ol' leniral New Brunswicdv and that of Nova Seotia. the only group or
lieh I'!' roeks which in the former pi'ovince is known to he of the I're-
Cambrian a<i;e is entirely overlooked ; tlie ,<>-reat central basin of Now
Eriinswiek beiiii;' at the stimc tiim' made continuous with tlie l>ay of
l-"und\ iroui;'li, from which tlie>i' l'rc-( 'ainlirian roidvs now coni|iletely
seiiarale il. .\s to the ridii'es north of theeeiitrul basin, now occupied by
the Coal measures, and dividing;- the latter from tlu; (ias|ie-\Voi'cestor
tr(iUi;di. it is true that a portion of these have, in the reiiorls and nia]is of
tln' (leoloii'ical Survey, been represented as Arcluean ; but even if this bo
their aii'e of which there is as yet no delinite jiroof, the area which they
occupv is not lara;e. and no evidence whatever is available to show
that thev were eoniu'Cted citliei' on the one side with the rocks of New-
foundland, or on the other with those of southern .Maine and .Massa-
chusetts. It seems much moi'e probable that, if Arcluean at all, the rotdvs
in (piestion rej)resenl one or more of several insular i^'roups in the Cam-
lii-ian seas, of which others were to be found in nortiiern Maine, in soutli-
ern New Brunswick and in eastern Nova Scotia.

It' now we consider the facts connectt'd more particularly with tl:e
Bav of i^undv trough, wi- tind dehiiite j)roof not only of the existence of
terrestrial areas in this vicinity at the opening ot' the ("anibrian ei-a, but
that these were so dis|)o.sed as to determine u northern border to the
trou'i-h. not widely dilferent in position from that whicdi now limits it in
the sanu' <lirection. For although among the fornuUions adjacent to the
Bay are found re]n'esen tat ions of all tlie successi\ e eras, from the Laui--
(•ntian to the Trias inclusive, they occupy in general very small areas,
forming a mere fringe, as it wei'e. to the Archu'an ridges, which, for
much of their length, rise dinnHly and precipitously from the waters of
the bay. That tliey similarly thus rose in early Cambrian times, or at
least that ridges in part above the sea-level were iu)t very distant, is fully
shown by the nature and distribution of the Cambrian sediments, by
their physical markings and by their contained fo.s.sils, as long since
pointed out by .Matthew. It .seems probable, however, that their height
was somewhat less to the eastward than to the westward, the Archa^in
rocks, which t<> the west of the St. John river form one broad belt, being
to the eastward of that stream divided into several, possibly insular,
ridges, by intervening parallel troughs of Cambrian sediments.

[BAII.hv]

THE BAY OF FUNDY TROUGH

109

■■;*

Tlic iiortlifi'ii hortlc'i- of tlic liuy nl' Fundy tr()Ui;-li iK'iiii,^ tlms lixod
fortlio early Piilu'ozuio witli soiuo dcf^rt'o of certainty, tlioui^li not in the
poNilioti iis.sin'ued to it in the manual of Prof. Dana, we liavi' now to
in(iiiire as lotlie corresixtndiny lioi'dei' on the south.

At the pre.sent time ihi.s southern horder is, llii'oui;-hoiit its extent,
marked by the truppeun range of the Nortli .Mountains, wliicli cannot
possihly be okler than the Trias, and is probably .Jnras.sic. Kliininating
this and the as.soeiated reel .sandstones, and uniting, us wouiil then i)e tlu^
case, the waters of the Minas basin. Annapolis basin and .St. Mary's bay
with (hose of the Bay of J'undy. we lind the vuvU-^ whicii luwt border
the trough on the south side to l)e of .Silurian or Eo-I)evonian age, rest-
ing ior the greater part of their length ujion the granite ridge of the
.South .Mountains, tlu: latter forming the backbone of the Xova Scotian
peninsula. But is the backbone Areha'an ? It is .so represented in Pi-of.
Dana's manual ; Itnt it is safe to say that, as regards all that portion at
least of the })eninsula which now lies south ol'the present Buy of I'midv,
it contains no Arclnean rocks \vhatever. The granites were loni;- since
described by Sir Wm. Dawson as being intru.sive and of Devonian a<>'e. a
conolu.sion wdiich all sul)se(|uent investigation has tended to conlirm ; and
though both that author and Dr. Selwyn wei'e disjxwed to regard the
liornblendicand ehloritic rocks of Varmouth as probably Jl;ironian. there
is now no (jueslion that these too are really moi-e roceui, they being
a member, and by no means the lowest member, of the same series as the
gold-bearing nx'ks of the southei'n coast, usually regarded as ( 'aini)rian.
Thus there are no rocks, at present disclosed to view, in the ])()riioii of
Nova Scotia lying south ot the |)re.sent Bay of Fundy. which can
])roperly be pointed to as a portion of the "Acadian ])rota\is"; the only
rocks ol' Areha'an age to be found in the pi'ovince being limited to the
island of Cape Breton, and possibly to some poi-tions of {]\v ('oiic(£uid
mountains.

Before dismissing the Pre-Cambrian rocks it is interesting to note, in
the case of tho.se of southern New Brunswick, the large amount of vol-
canic matter which they contain, and which, m the rocks referral to the
Huronian system alone, has been estimated to reach a thickness of
at least 10,000 feet. So vast an accumulation of igneous matter aloiii"-
lines parallel with the |)reseiit course of the Bay of Fundy troundi,
not o liy strongly marks out the latter as a subsiding geosyncline as far
back as Pi-e-Cambrian time, but as exhibiting, even then, conditions which,
in later eras and in the same geosyncline, were rei)eated in the igneous
extru.sions of the Silurian, the Devonian, the Lowei" Carboniferous and
the Trias.

We have now to consider more particularly the information to be
obtained from the study of the Cambrian rocks.

Sec. IV., isy?, fi.

ROYAL SOCIKTY OF CANADA

The littoi'iil ()ri,i,nii of llit'si- fockw. ;is rcifui'ds 1 heir curlier iiioml)frs,
is, in Nt'W 15niiis\vicU, sutHciontly attcsU'd liy the coiirsoness and l)iill< of
till! coni^loinrra It' which constitute thesu meniliors; while their <)riifin is
as cjcai'iv indicated in thi' tact tluit llioir contained peidiU's are identical
with that ol' the Arclucan rid/^es near by. Kven higher in the aeries,
thoni^h increasing- tineness indicates a dee)ienini;- of the waters in which
the Iteds were deposited, the occurrence of wave-marks, ripple-inarks,
mud-cracks and worn^ trails continue to atl'ord conclusive evidence of
shallow water origin. And. frnall}', this conclusion tinds contirmation in
the nature of the fossils, the well-known studies of which, hy Matthew,
have I'lialiU'd him not only to determine, in ifreat detail, the successive
changes in that fauna as affected by the varyinn" conditions under which
it was develojK'd, but to draw probable conclusions as lo its relations with
e(iuiv;dent faunas elsewhere, and possible migrations from one rey;ion tn
another. Tlie most important ])oint in coimection witii the comparisons.
.St) far as the subject under discussion is concerned, is that of the
much closer resemblance of the Acadian ('ami)rian I'auna to that of
l']uro|ie than to that ot interior America. I'\)llowini;- tlie su,<j;,i;'estions
of I)an:i. this is believed liy Matthew to be due to the existence of a
harrier separatintf the Acadian basin from that of the coniineiital interior,
ai^companit'd at the same time b}' a dilVereiU'e in the temperature of the
A'alers. those of the re^-ion east of the barrier feeling, as now, the inllu-
ence of a comparatively cold Polar current, while those to the west, in-
cluding the St. Lawrence eliannel and jirobably the (iaspe-Worcester
chaiiiiel. were relatively warm. It wotild seem to follow, as a corollary,
i f these inlereiices sire correct, tlial no similar barrier existed between the
eastern coast of America and the western shores of I-iUrope : and .^[atthew,
in a map illustrating Ids views, (extends the zones indicating the distribu-
tion ot the trilobitic launadirectl}' from the one to the other. Nova Scotia
being included in the proliably stibmerged area. So. again, Walcott. in a
ma|i sho\ving the su])])osed distribution of what he terms the Keweenaw
land or continent, while recognizing the Arehican rocks of southern New
Brunswick as an extension of the Appalachian |)r()taxis, and as being
above the sea level, does not include therein any part of Nova Scotia.

Unfortunatidy. in passing to the last named province, to which we
would naturally look lor further information, we tind this to be of a
very unsatisfactory cluiracter; for though it is usual to assign to the
Cambrian system the great group of rocks along the southern coast, in
which are situated the various auriferous deposits now so extensively
worked, there is as yet no detinite proof that such is their age, and there
are those who directly deny it. All, however, are agreed that these rocks
cannot be newer than Cumbrian, and, although, adopting the latter view
as the most probable, we find, as in the case ot the St. John rocks, evi-
dence that this source could not have been far distant, there is still no

[uailby]

TMK HAY OF I'lN'DY TKOUcill

111

(listincl ovidciH'c ol' ils oxisteiieo williiii lli;il pari of Xova St'oti;i wliicli
now torii\.s {\iv siiuiln'Pii liouinlary of tho Buy ol' Fmnlv hiHin.

It is u.suiil tu divide tho su|i|)ost'd (Juml)riiin mckH of \i)va.Scoiia
into two di:-(tiiict inuiuburs. ol' wliicdi the lowoi- consists oliioflv ot'([iiart-
ziles or lino ;iaMdstonos, willi luiadi tliiiiiier iiilorealatod slates, and tli^j
uppor ill most wholly of sltitos, partly lii^'lil eolourod or handod. InU tnostlv
very bhi<dv and pyriloiis. Tlu' ilii(dviios8assit!,-ncd \o tlK'Torincr hvOilpin
is 9,000 11., by Mr. CampboU it is made 1 0.000 I'l., while W. F. I'rJst. from
nieasunMnents both on llie .Sissaboo and al Waverley. has cslinialod Iho
same thitdcness as hi;^h as lii.OJu ft. It is doubll'ul whelher. in a region
so extensively folded ami faulletl as this, any esiimates of ihi(dvne.ss can be
look'cd u|K)n wiili coniidence : bnt no one who has made seel ions a(;r()ss
the supposed (Jambrian belt, any where between Halifax and Shelliurne,
can doubt that the thi(dvness, with all allowance I'or probable errors, is
aomething enormous. That tho beds, especially of I he lower division,
should exhibit .-utdi great uniformity, a> regar.ls both their extension and
their depth, is scarcely less remarkable; while their (diaracier is such as
to indicate ( hat they could hardly have been depo.-iied in vei-y deep water
or that their source was very fai' distant. It is true that, as compared
with the ("ambrian rock of Xew lirun-<wick. they lack the coai',se red
beds usually (but not always) found there at the ba>e of the system, but
apart from their ai'eiuiceous character, the oi/currence of rip])le-marks and
t)ccasionally of pebble beds leaves little tloabt of their shallow water
origin. And yet over the whole of southwcvstern Xova .Sc(jlia we liiul
nothing to indicate the .souive from which they came. On i lu' contrary,
it is now Icnown that, with the exception of the granite and sm;ill areas
of lOo-Devonian and Trias, to be ])resently noticed, no other rocks than
those of the ('ambrian system (so called) are to be t'ouicl over all this
region. As, moreover, (here is reason to bL'lieve that the granite itself is
but an excessively ni'Mamorphns ■(! condition ot' the ('amiu'ian ([uartzites
(this metumorphism run occurring, however, until a much later period),
we are I'orced to the conclusi')n that all the portion of Xova .Scotia
under discussion was, during a large p>)rtion of t/'ambrian lime, in a con-
dition of submergence, forming a iiorlion of a sul)sidin"- troU'Wi, whose
southern aiul eastei'n limits cannot now be defined.

As regards the slates which overlie the (puirtzites, it is evident that
they indicate a .still deeper submergence, po-fsibly to considerable depths,
Tiieir thickness has been variously estinuite(i at from 4,000 to lU.OOO ft.,
but if only 5.00U ft., this, if added to 10,000 fi., as a reasonable estimate
foi- the quartzites, would indicate for the whole (,'ambriau .system in lYova
■Scotia a sub.sidence of nearly three miles. It may be that this sul)sidence
will, in i)art. account for the remarkable absence of fossils in the Cam,
brian rocks, the presence of cold currents traversing the submerged area
being unfavourable to the growth or spread of organic forms.

112

UOYAL SOCIKTY OF CANADA

[f now wc iidviiiu'c ii stt'|i ii|i\v:iril in t lie ijjoolo^ioiil scaK'. we liiid tliiit
tlio int'oi'inution tola' olii;iiiu'(l is still vi'iy scanty. No rocks of undoubted
Canilifo Silurian atc^' luivc been idcntilicd in tbat part ol Nova Scotiu
wliicli lies dirccth' south ot' tlic prr tMit Hav of l''uiidv, and tlicv occcur
very sparini^ly on its noi'llici-u border. It is j)robablc, however, tbut
extensive areas ol' such i-dcks liave been rontoved by di-nudatiou, the
f)irti/iiitf)iu( hIuIcs found at llu' niouth of the St. Jolni rivei- show inir such
relations to tlio C;anil)rian ro(!Us, on which they rest, as to indicate that
ihey lit one time completely covered them. (.Nfatthew.) It is ]»roliable
that tluy s])read over much of Nova Scotia as well, init of this nodetinite
jiroid' has yet been obtained.

In the LTp])cr Silurian the data ai"e more ample. In New Briuiswick
the rocks of this ai^e ai-e widely disti'iltuted. but betwei'U those of the
northern and those of the .«<outhern pari of tlio province a ^reat contrast
exists. In the noi'lbern poi'lion the rocks are calcaivous slates and lime-
stones, ant! both by theii- cdiai'aeter and fossils (which iiududc! many
coi'als), show tleposition in (dear waters, niarkinn', in fact, the cf)ntinuance
of the old (JaspeAVorccster li'oun'h. In gmithrr/i New Brunswick, on tlio
other hand. tlicro(d<s arc almost c\ehisively slates and tine santlstones.
almost without limestones and corals, but with much volcanic debris, show-
m^, unmistakably, both by their chai'actcr and distributi>" that they
were de[)osited in simllow bays and straits in and amoui;- the old lluronian
hills, these latter then exi.stinu^ as islamls in the Silurian sea.

There can be but little doubt that the source of these materials, so
far as New Brunswiik is concerned, was still, as in the earlier Cambrian,
to be found in the waste of the old Arclucan ridi^'cs iieai" by. and remnants
of which, like islands, are seen projoctiiiii; tliroiigli them ; but while the
northern edge of the trough now occu]iied by the Bay of Fundy thus con-
tinues to be more or less clearlv indicated, we are still whollv witliout
evidence as to its southern border. We do. indeed, tiud, all along the
southern side of the Aniuipolis vnllcy. in the basins of Bear River,,
Clements, Nictau and Torbrook, a great body of I'ocks, which are abun-
dantly ibssiliferous and contain extensive iron ore deposits, both indicative
of their marginal or shallow-water origin; but through much of their
length the rocks with which they come into contact are granites, which
at the same time show, b^- their peni'tration and alteration both ot' tlie
fossil beds and tlie ore beds along their line of contact, thai they are of
later origin. The fo.ssil- bearing strata being clearly of Ko-l)evonian age,,
and the granites as clearly of later Devonian origin, while to the south
no rocks more recent than those of the Cambrian ai'e to be found, we
are again forced to the conclusion that, as in the earlier Paheozoic, so
through the Silurian and Devonian eras, the Nova Scotia peninsula, in
its western part at least, still lay below the sea level, the old protaxis, iT
any, lying outside of and to the eastward of its present limits ; also, that

■I

[nAll.KY]

TIIK I'.AY OF MNDV TUoCdII

113

it \v!is to till' fdiitiiiucid sulwidciici! of tin- l!;iy of l''iiiiil\- iroiiLfli. nf which
Novti Si'oijji may liiivo ivpi-cseiitcd the Jixial line, tiial we an' In asrriln^
the vast iminhoi- of ii^ncoiis dyivos hy wiiich. on lutth >i(lcs of the iiav, its
st'diiiuMits ai-t' intiM'si'(.'lod, us well, prolial'ly. a-; the onyinalioii of iIh-
,i!;raiiitn whicli. a,i,Miii on lioth sides of the 1-ay, was t h(! closing cvi'iii n|'
tiio hcvotiian aj^o.

In thu distriliutioii. cliaractiM', and fo-ssils ol' the fiowor Carlioidfcroiis
roclvs in tlic Acadiati rci^ion is allordcd jn'ctly satisfactory inforniation
us to tiif condition oi' that vui,non at this hi" " ;>"-'i)d. At its opcninij
the hind on cillicrsidc ol'tiic i!ay of JMindy t roui^di nndoubtcilly ntood
somcwiiat above its |)Pesont level, the main dill'crcncc between its cotitonr
at that tinu' and the jnvsent b(3iui,^ in the al)sence of tlieXorlli Moun-
tains, wliich now mark its bordei-; but as the a^-e advanced, ditrereiitial
inov<Mnetits, with inci'easi" ot' subsidence in the diivclion of the i,'idf, led
grudnally to tlie e.vi)an.sion of its watcMs until these, in New Ih-unswiclc al
least, spread over tho hi,<,'hest hills of the .southern coast, as they did also
over much of the intei'iov and over some oi' the ridges bouiidiuif the
(nuspe-Worcosfer trou<;di. Annapolis and Minas basins, witli the lower
portions of the valleys oti he Avon and Shubenacadie. would then be con-
tinuous with the main trou<i;h, the southern border of which would bo
marked by the South .Mountains; Xova Scotia would have been separated
fr(un the nuiitdand by the submerufonce of tho peninsula now cmmecting
the two. and nearly midway in tho strait thus found the Cobequids would
have sto(>d as a long island. ])arallel with tho axis of the trough. As in
earlier periods, continued .subsidonco led to igneous extension.s, but these,
instead of being, as heretofore, of granite, were now conlined to more
liinitotl areas an<l took the form of dolei'itic dykes and overllows. such as
everywhere cap the Lower Carboniferous rocks of southern New Bruns-
wick.

In the case of the rocks of the Coal .Nfeasuros. the principal ""-cts to
be noticed are the occurrence of ihem everywhere around the shores of
the (lulf of St. Lawrence, as well as upon Pi'ince Edward Island, etc.,
indicating thoir former continuity over the area now occupied b}- the
waters of the gidf; tho extension of tlu! latter over the central counties
ot New Brunswick almost to its western bi^rder ; similar extension across
tho Isthmus of (,'hignecto, indicating sinular conditions there; but,
tinally. with a most wonderi'ul contrast in the thickness of the beds there
iieposited, as compared with tho.so laid down over the mainland of New
Brunswick, the one rc|)resented by a thickness of U.OOO ft. or more,
while tlio other probably does not exceed 400 or 500 ft. Tho attitude of
the beds in the interior is nearly horizontal ; that of tho strata bordering
the bay shows everywhere evidence of profound disturbance. Thus, tiie
Bay of Fundy trough as a subsiding area is again strongly accentuated)
while tho vast thickness of the strata about the hoatl of the bay, as

114

ROYAL SOCIF/l'Y OF CANADA

reprcsi'iiti'd at tlic .l(>,LCi/:i'>s. toii'i'tlior with theii- vory sparing occurronca
to the westward on the Xew lirunswick sliorc and out iro absence on that
oi' Nova .Si'otia. woiihl si'i-ni to indicate! citlicr that the conditions for
their accuinniation were liero less tavoui-ahie. or that, if ever dejwsited,
they liav'' iieen i-emoved by detiudation. Pi-of. Dana .seems to have
regarded the coal-niaiting swatnjis of tlie (Inif of St. Lawrence as liaving
been connected, tlwougli the Bay of Kiindy, with those oi'Ma.ssachusetts
and Rliode Ishmd ; but the I'acts stated above seem rather to favour the
idea lluit u bari'iei- of some l<ind existed i)etween the two.

As I'eijiii'ds tlie rocks of the .lura-Trias tiiere is no reascjn to doubt
that \hv L ■VdWv accepled view whicii woidd make tliem of estuary
origin, and as liaving lieen laid down under conditions similar to those of
the ConiUH'tieut valley, are ei)ri'ect. It is. however, worth noticing that
the iii'iieous roclcs whi(di hei'e, as elsewhere, form so consj)icuous a feature
in eonneetion with tln'se \n'(U are wholly conlined to the I Jay of Fundy
de])ressii»n, bcini;- found on both >ides of the latter as well as in the ishintl
of Grand Manan. but nowherts at a distance I'rom the present limits of the
bav. The strata are also faulted in the tlireclion of the axis of the bay.

Of latei' .Me.<ozoic i'o(d<s nothing detiinte is known, and hence data
are wanting iVom which conclus-ions can be drawn, except ^o far as these
are alloi-ded by region^• outside the limits of the ai'ea now under discus-
sion. It has. indet'd, been ascertained that a poilion.and ]irobably a con-
sideralile jioition. of the strata of the Annajjolis valley, which it has been
usual to I'cgard as altogether oldei' than the traps of the North Moun-
tains, C'lnlain in iilacc> large eiiibeibled blocks of such ti'ap. and hence
that tlie^e sli'al;i. il' noi contemporaneous with, are moi'c recent than the
latter. Ijut no li)s>ils have yet been fonnd by which their real age can be
deternuned. and no satisfactory conclusions with ivgai'd to them are as
yet pos>ible.

li (inly I'eniains to consider bi'ielh !ln' possible condition of the Bay
of l''undy trough in the (Quaternary era.

As to the (ilacial or Ih'ift Period, the ([uestion here, as elsewhere,
involves a decision between the rival t heories which would, on the one
hand. pre>nppo.-e a gcnei'al npwai'd continc'ntal movement, with a corre-
sjiondinu' enlargenieiil, liot b in ex ten i and (U'pth. of the polar ice-ca]>. and
the conse(|uences incident thereto, and. on the other, would advocate a
tleju'essiou ratliei' than elevation in the higher latitudes, with local glaci-
ation only and a much wider <listribution of iee-latlen currents. In the
one case the Iki}- ol fundy would be practically annihilated by an I'leva-
tion ol' both its bed and boi'ders, a> well as by the tilling of the former
b}' ice; in thi.' other view, though ivtaining its general position and form,
the bay would have somewhat wider lindts. and. as in some earlier periods,
would become a strait opeidng freely into the (iiilf of St. Lawrence, leav-
ing Nova Scotia disconnected with the main land. The glacial pheno-
mena of the latlei' would tlius be almo.'jt whollv local.

■m

UMiiiMil

[uailky]

THE BAY Ol' FUNDY TROIKHI

118

While tlie sul)jefl is too icnt^lhy tor lull discussion her.;, the present
writer leels eomi)elle.l to express his dissent from the views lately put
forth upon this subjeet by Mr. Chuliiiers. of the (ieolo^'ieal Survey, as
tavouriny- the seeond of the two hypotheses referred to. While fully
admittiii!;- the faeta l.rouii'ht forward by that gentleman in sup]u)rt of his
conclusions, the writer believes that these have all to do with the closing
portion of the (llacial Period and that a far greater array of facts in
favour of u ])revious condition id' general or continental glacialion can
easily be brought forward. Thus, the vast numbers and the enormoiis
size of the granite and Canibrian boulders strewed over the whole peiun-
8ula and upon its highest summits ; the fact that here, as elsewhere, the
chief movement of the boulders has been in a southerly direction : that
among the boulders occurring on bigby Neck and Hriar Island are some
wholly nidike anything to be found in Nova Scotia, hut closely resembling
thoscin so;ithern' New Brunswi(dv. while blocks of the characteristicN(. rib

Momitaiii traps occiii' all along the south side of St. Mary's bay, as well as
on the Atlantic shore oi' Yarmouth and Shelburne counties, show a general
movement southward, such as could only be possible if the whole i)enin-
sida were covered with a single icy mantle, and this a j.ortion of a still
greater ice sheet coextensive with the northeastern ]»orlion of the conti-
nent itself When to these evidences of continental glaciation we add
the wonderfully ])erfect illustrations of moraines and kaiues. some of the
latter thirty miles in length, with which the interior of the soutli western
counties abound : the eimr.se and ])arallelism of the numenms tlord-liko
indentations of the .southern coast, accompanied, as they frequently are,
by evidences of glacial ploughing, which ;ire phenomenal in their char-
acter ; the similar direction and parallelism of the transverse troughs,
such as Dili-by (\\\{. Sandy Cove. Petite and (irand Passages, which more or
less completely divide the North .Mountain range, and which again show
evidence.- (d' glaciation to and below the present sea level ; iht; pheno-
mena, as a whole, appear to be of such a character as to denumd some
more general and some more energetic source than that of sudiiee as
would gather around a few low islands, or even from the entire province.
That evidences of a northward transfer of drift are to be found in
the Aimaitolis valley, in the occurrence there of numeious boidders
derive.l from the South >biuntain graiute. is, of course, not to be denied ;
but. in the writer's opiinon. these boulders belong only to the closing era
of the (ilacial i'eriod. their northward transfer being the natural result
of the higher lands, sucdi as the South Mountains, being the last to become
freed of their burden of ice, and, therefore, for a time left in the condi-
tion of mers dc ijlaee. from which ice streams might descend in any
direction. In partial contirmation of this view it may be of interest to
note, that, according to the statements of farmei-s occupying the Anna-
polis valley, the granite boulders in question are never met with at (h^pthf
of more than ten oi- twelve feet below the present surface.

116

KOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA

Jii coiili'ust witli tlie HUppoaed elevations of the Glacial J'oriod. liio
evidences of depression in the succeeding Champlain Period are clear and
unuiistakalile. Not only do we find along the New Brunswick shore
marine clays, us at St. John and St. Andrews, lilled with Post Tertiary-
fossils, Init similar clays and associated sands also occu])}'. more or less
completely, the Annaj)olis valley, indicating a lorinci- considerably greater
depth to that valley. At St. John the height of the beds above the pre-
sent sea k^vel is about 200 ft. ; in Nova Scotia the clays of Middlcton,
holding marine shells and U()hiuraus, are not more than twenty or
twenty-tive feet above the tide ; but it is probable that the total submerg-
ence was much more than this, with the result of connecting Anna])oli8
basin eastward with the Basin of Miiias and westward with St. Mary's
bay the North Mountains and their extension in Digby Neck being
reduced to low-hing ritlges and islands.

The evidences of modern subsidence in and about the Kay of Fundy,
as shown by the submerged forests, eroded shell-heaps, etc, need not, of
course, be here dwelt ujion. but are in accordance with the movements of
earlier times, and sinularly point to this Bay of Fundy trough as u prob-
able line of comparative instability in the earth's crust.

In presenting the views advocated in this paper the write'/ is aware
of the objection which may be urged against them as being too theoi-etical.
But the facts of observation are only of interest and value as they are
brought into correlation, and used in exphuiiition of the events or pro-
cesses by which they have been determined ; and, as in every branch of
scientitic incpiiry. the "scientiiic imagination,'" as it has been termed by
Tyndall, must go hand in hand with observatioti and trial, he trusts that
the ett'orts here made to discuss some of the probable phases in the
development of an important portion of the continent may at least be
suggestive of further lines of inquiry.

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