OUTLETS OF THE ST. JOHN RIVER. 43 



ARTICLE IV. 



"THE OUTLETS OF THE ST. JOHN RIVER. 



By G. F. Matthew, D. Sc, F. R. S. 0. 



Reftd 13th Norember, 1894. 



Introductory. 



Among the mau}^ rivers of the Atlantic seaboard 

 of North America none have the pecuHarities which 

 serve to give especial interest to the St. John. 



It is difficult to find a river four hundred and forty 

 miles long and only two hundred feet wide at its mouth,t 

 ■ or with the peculiar tidal rapids which give such constant 

 variety to the appearance of the gorge at the narrow 

 outlet of this river. 



The St. John difters from the majority of rivers in 

 having no marine delta ; the mud which it pours into the 

 sea being swept up and down the Bay of Fundy by 

 strong tides, until it mostly finds a resting place in the 

 deep waters of the bay, ofi" Grand Manan and the Western 

 islands. The actual delta of the St. John is inland, 

 between Belleisle bay and Oak point, and of the Kenne- 

 becasis at Perry's point, where these rivers discharge 

 into lake-like expansions of brackish water. 



The St. John combines within its basin three different 

 river systems, once independent of each other, but now con- 



t Between Split Rock on the eastern side and the limestone point under the 

 Cantilever bridge on the western side, according to W. D. Matthew, the width is 

 .about 212 feet. 



