PHYSICAL FEATURES OF NOVA SCOTIA—MURPHY. 141 
The general character of the surface for the last 16 miles is 
that of a long, rich agricultural valley, bounded on each side by 
a continuous line of hills of various forms and surfaces. The 
timber is heavy, pine is frequently met with; but the growth 
principally varies with the varied surface of the land. 
The country, so far, sketched along the line of survey, ought 
to be understood as being local. There are many thriving settle- 
ments and farms, not mentioned here, lying in close proximity. 
DRAINAGE. 
The southern promontory of Nova Scotia lying west of the 
64° of longitude, embracing the counties of King’s, Annapolis; 
Digby and Yarmouth, on the north and west, and those of 
Shelburne, Queen’s and Lunenburg, on the south and east, are 
very marked both as to typography and drainage, extending in 
a south-westerly direction beyond the 66°, between the Bay of 
Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean. The South Mountain range of 
elevated land extending from the Basin of Minas to near Anna- 
polis Royal, in the same south-westerly direction, and from thence 
converging more southerly through the County of Digby, forms 
the grand features of the country and regulates its drainage, 
disposing of its surface water from the northern slopes through 
the rivers Annapolis, and Cornwallis, which run _ respectively 
south-west and north-east to the Basins of Annapolis and Minas. 
The Windsor and Annapolis railway found an easy location 
along these rivers, which traverse the two beautiful alluvial 
valleys of Cornwallis and Annapolis, famous for their natural 
fertility. 
The physical features of the country south of the South Moun- 
tain, are very different to those described on the north side. 
Instead of the rivers receiving the drainage and running laterally 
with them, they run at right angles to them, and course nearly 
parallel to each other. Such are the Gold River, LaHave, Port 
Medway, Liverpool and Jordan rivers. 
The summit of the water-shed is crossed between the Nictaux 
and LaHave rivers; these rivers here interlace and cross each 
other in a series of lakes lying in an extensive plateau. 
