CHAP. xvi. SUPPOSED VOLCANIC ACTION". 257 



seated among the unexplored mountains of the talkie- 

 land of Labrador, to the north-east of the Saugenay or the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



In October 1785 the obscurity extended so as to com- 

 prehend on one side Fredericton, New Brunswick, and 

 on the other Montreal. A ship, the Adamant, was on 

 the morning of October 16th off the end of the island of 

 Anticosti. There it was then clear weather ; but towards 

 the west the ship's company saw a heavy black cloud, and 

 by twelve on the same day had sailed into it, and very 

 shortly afterwards found themselves in darkness. 



In 1828 Captain F. H. Baddely, E.E., was engaged by 

 the Canadian government in exploring the Saugenay 

 country, and in his Eeport, which was published at the 

 time, he states that Malbay or Murray Bay, on the St. 

 Lawrence, 90 miles below Quebec, has long been remark- 

 able for the frequency of earthquakes. 



Shocks are most frequent in January or February : they 

 occur about nine or ten times a year. 'It is not,' says 

 Captain Baddely, ' perhaps generally known that there 

 exists highly respectable evidence of a volcanic eruption 

 having happened somewhere in the rear of St. Paul's Bay, 

 not far from Murray Bay. No one, we think, will feel 

 disposed to doubt the fact after perusing the following 

 account of it ; with which, through the politeness of 

 Messrs. Gagnon and Chaperon, we have been furnished. 

 It is the former gentleman who writes :. 



' In the place of a journal, which happens to be lost, 

 be kind enough to receive the following :-^ 



' Tuesday, December 6/7i, 1791. At St. Paul's Bay, and 

 at other neighbouring places, at about a quarter after 



VOL. i. s 



