OUTLETS OF THE ST, JOHN RIVER. 51 



"led to the prodnction of the valleys which this river, in a 

 later period of the earth's history, utilized for its outlet. 



The principal features of this river hasin were chiselled 

 during a vast space of time, of which no record remains 

 in this region, except the worn and corroded surface of 

 the earth, exposed to the action of the elements during 

 a succession of ages. Geologists have attempted to 

 estimate what the extent of this time was, or at least the 

 relative length of its difierent parts. The space of time, 

 from that when the Huronian volcanoes ceased to pour 

 out their vast iioods of lava until the close of the Carboni- 

 ferous age (Permian included), is called the Pala?ozoic 

 ages, and it is represented b}' nearly consecutive deposits 

 in this region, which give us the histor}' of geological 

 changes occurring here during this time. 



The next grand division of time includes the Mesozoic 

 ages, and so far as the St. John river is concerned is 

 an utter blank, no vestige of a formation or terrain 

 remains on the banks of this river, to tell of the changes 

 which then occurred. 



The third great division of Geologic time includes 

 the Cainozoic ages, and is also a blank as regards these 

 Maritime provinces, except its closing period, represented 

 by the deposits of the Glacial and subsequent times. 



Some of the leading American geologists have given 

 time ratios, to mark the proportionate lapse of time dur- 

 ing these geological ages, as follows : 



.J. D. Dana 



A. Winchell, 



H. S. Williams, 



C. D. Walcotl, 



Average, 12 3}^ II4 



