PROCEEDINGS FOR 1897 XXXI 



iind increase of the gi-ant heretofore made for the sm-vey of the tidal 

 currents, and the more j^erfect organization of a Hydrographie Survey 

 Department for the Dominion." (On motion of Professor Johnson, 

 seconded by Dr. Stewart.) 



(4) " Resolved, That the nominating committee of officers of the 

 society be composed of Archbishop O'Brien, Benjamin Suite, Dr. George 

 Stewart, Sir S. Fleming, and Dr. G. M. Dawson. 



The society then adjourned until 2.45 p. m. the same day. 



SESSION II. (June 21st.) 



The society resumed at 2.45 p. m. and the following reports from 

 societies were read in due order : 



Eeports of Associated Societies. 



I. — From The Quebec Geographical Society, through Mr. 

 C. E. Baillairgé. 



The Quebec Geographical Society has the honour this year, and is 

 glad of the occurrence on this exceptional occasion, of presenting itself 

 before the Royal Society of Canada in a new and improved garb as 

 represented by the volume of transactions which the undersigned, as 

 delegate, has been requested to lay on the table. 



The society has, so to say, taken a new lease of life, activity and 

 usefulness, as, it is presumed, will be admitted on a j^erusal of the illus- 

 trated contents of its bulletin, amongst which will be noticed its study of 

 the Hudson Bay and Labrador territories, with papers and reports 

 thereon by Dr. Bell, M.D., and by Mr. A. P. Low, of the Geological 

 Bureau. Ottawa, the latter of whom introduces us to the Great Hamilton 

 cataract, of which the height is 302 feet and the flow equal to that of the 

 Ottawa above Grenville ; the question of the exploitation of the land 

 and water resources of the bay and a railway thereto, or from Lake St. 

 John to James Bay by the valleys of the Chamouchouan, the Waswanipi 

 and the Nottawaï, by M. Baillairgé ; the effect on the St. Lawrence and 

 Great Lakes of the so-called Chicago drainage canal, which will lessen its 

 flow by 600,000 cubic feet of water per minute, one-thirtieth of the whole 

 flow over Niagara, to be diverted by the Des Plaines, Illinois and Missis- 

 sippi rivers towards the Gulf of Mexico, also by M. Baillairgé ; an inter- 

 esting paper by Dr. Bell on the differential elevation of the northeastern 

 territory, corroborated also by Mr. Low in his report on the Labrador 

 territory ; an interesting paper by M. LeVasseur, Honorary President 

 of the rociety, descriptive of the Island of Anticosti and explanatory of 

 M. Menier's new venture in the exploitation of its resources, and a full 

 biography of the life of old Gamache, its first inhabitant and pioneer ; a 



