[pooLE] FEATURES OF CONTINENTAL SHELF OFF NOVA SCOTIA 75 



wost of what had been Cretaceous rivers formed the island we have 

 named Prinet^ Edward and at tlie same time converted the valley, which 

 f.rst had been occupied by a fresh water stream, into a salt water strait. 

 This at least is the explanation now oii'ered to account for the 

 phenomena presented by the region under review. 



Mention has been made of two marked depressions breaking down 

 the southern edge of the terrace; the (xully at the eastern end of Sable 

 island, and Sambro valley the channel immediately south of Halifax. 

 These localities seemed to be of such special interest that further in- 

 formation was sought for on board the cable-ship ' Minia ' where a care- 

 ful record isi kept of depths, etc., at which repair and grapnel work is 

 done. To Captain De Carteret and Mr. J. Adams, first officer who 

 placed their local charts at my service I am greatly indebted. Si^ecial 

 enquiry was made for soundings crossing the Gully's mouth. Long, 59° 

 in Lat. 43° 55' to 44° 8' and there happily a record of grapnel work 

 gave a depth of 847 fms. with so rapid a drop within a cable's length, 

 that as the ship drifted the grapnel could not be kept on the 

 bottom. The drift was across the line of' a narrow channel 

 which the chart soundings had failed to disclose. The theory 

 which I had presented to the officers of the cable ship had sus- 

 pected the presence of an unrecorded deep channel and the record 

 they had taken was fortunately able to confirm its existence. Could 

 better proof of the value of the theory be obtained ? Accident, however, 

 did not lay so fortunate a course for the mouth of Sambro channel and 

 desirable evidence of the conditions there is still lacking. Both valleys 

 open to the south into bold water from wliich the deep water in the 

 channels some ten miles up appears to be cut off and partially blocked 

 by bars. The soundings along the Gully suggest, at spots steep slopes, 

 islands, a winding channel and deeps contig-uous to high points which 

 remind one of cirques on the edges of plateaux. 



The valley of the Gully connects with the deep water off Country 

 Harbour and although an extension into that and adjoining fjords is 

 now obscured by deposits and by the action on them of waves and cur- 

 rents towards the landwash. 



The S.S. 'Minia' met with a condition oft' the Bay of Fundy some- 

 what similar to that at the mouth of the Gully, finding a submerged 

 ravine over which a suspended cable was injured, presumably by chafing 

 on the rocks as it was swayed by the tides. 



Turning now to Sambro bank and its circumjacent valley the con- 

 tours show that the bank is narrowest east and west and where its sides 

 are steepest, and that it seems to be a continuation of the granite ridge 



