GLACIATION OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 57 
the surface, and the geographical features produced, in part at least, by the action of 
glaciers. : 
It will at once be perceived by looking over the latter map, that the great bulk of the 
higher lands occupy the western and western central parts of the island, while the eastern 
and eastern centre are comparatively low, seldom reaching an elevation much over 500 or 
600 feet above the level of the sea. The surface of the country is thus a roughly inclined 
plain, sloping from west easterly, with an elevated ridge running diagonally across the 
centre from NS. W. to N. E., which divides the two great waters of the Exploits and Gander 
Rivers, and another running in the same direction between the Exploits and the East 
Humber Valley. The coast line on the western side of the island presents, for the greater 
part, a nearly straight face to the sea, the only deep indentations being Ingrachois, Bonne 
Bay, Bay of Islands, and St. George’s Bay ; while the east and south-east portions are deeply 
indented by innumerable great bays covered with islands, and numerous inlets, which 
penetrate in many cases for great distances into the mainland. These features maintain 
throughout a general parallelism varying between N. by E. and N. E. As already shown, 
the three great rivers of the country are also nearly parallel to each other in their courses, 
corresponding in bearing with the coast features; together with the principal lakes, such 
as Deer Pond and Grand Pond of the Humber, and the Red Indian and Victoria Lakes of 
the Exploits; but the Great Gander Lake is an exception, as it lies in a valley bearing 
nearly due east and west. Each of these three main arteries contains its representative 
great Lake, viz: The Grand Pond of the Humber, the Red Indian Lake of the Exploits, and 
the Gander Lake of the Gander Rivers, the height of the surfaces of which above the sea 
are respectively 116 feet, 481 feet, and 75 feet. The depth of those lakes at some parts is 
enormous. Soundings on the Grand Pond were struck opposite the Old Harry Mountain, 
which gave a depth of 145 fathoms, while at a short distance below Sir John H. Glover's 
Island, a line of 184 fathoms failed to strike the bottom. The Red Indian Lake is also re- 
puted to be of great depth, especially at the upper parts, in the narrows above Buchan’s 
Island; but, for want of sufficient line when the survey was made, the exact soundings 
were not ascertained, except at the eastern end, which is comparatively shallow, the 
greatest depth being forty and one-half fathoms, which were struck near the middle of the 
lake, opposite the Victoria branch of the Exploits. The Great Gander Lake is also very 
deep. Opposite King’s Point, at the western end of the great Eastern Arm, soundings were 
found at ninety-seven fathoms ; and off the point at the mouth of the North-East Brook, the 
depth was fifty-one fathoms; while outside the cove at the eastern extreme of the lake, it 
was found to be fifteen fathoms. The deepest part of the Grand Pond is thus not less than 
9884 feet below the surface of the sea; the Red Indian Lake is probably quite 500 feet be- 
low the same at the deepest parts, while the eastern soundings of that lake would be 238 
feet above. The deepest part of the Great Gander Lake is at least 313 feet below sea level : 
the eastern reach, 231 feet, and the extreme end of the point of the cove, fifteen feet. 
RISE OF THE LAND. 
Evidences of the land haying risen within comparatively recent times are tolerably 
clear, but to what extent the island may have been submerged during the glacial period is 
Sec. IV., 1882. 8 
