TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 117 
and pursues its course through the Narrows, after this it again forms a 
lake-like basin called Above the Falls. The outlet of this basin, which 
is contracted on one side by the projection of a point of land, and on the 
other by several islands to a breadth of less than a quarter of a mile, 
form what is called the Upper Falls. Through this the water forces 
its way and then forms a circular basin, vulgarly called The Pot, the 
transverse and conjugate diameters of which each measure nearly three 
quarters of a mile. The outlet of this basin is a narrow opening, mea- 
suring, at low water, 310 feet between the two opposite calcareous cliffs 
called Hast and West Head. At the foot of the latter is a large piece 
of rock projecting beyond the cliff, and called the Split Rock, which 
affords a passage for the water within it, at and after one-third tide. 
This small outlet is the Lower Falls, and through it all the waters of 
this’ magnificent river, which at the distance of 100 miles up measures 
nearly a mile across, and averaging ten or twelve feet in depth even 
there, rushes with inconceivable strength and grandeur. Below the 
falls the river again turns abruptly and increases to a breadth averag- 
ing from 800 to 1200 feet. About a mile and a half below the falls an 
island, called Navy Island, divides it into two channels, the smaller of 
which is dry at low water: below this island again lies the harbour of 
the city of St. John, though in this paper the whole space below the 
falls is designated as the harbour. About five miles below it the river 
enters the Bay of Fundy. 
3. Like all rivers the St. John is at some times more full than at others. 
In the spring of the year, however, it is always remarkably swollen by 
the Frreshet—the melted snow from the forests and high grounds in- 
creased by the periodical rains of the season. At that period the river 
rises thirteen or fourteen feet above its summer level, and this rise ex- 
ercises a very great influence on the direction of the motion of the 
water at the falls. 
II. A large body of the immense current called the Gulf Stream, is 
forced up the Bay of Fundy. As this bay is fully wider at its southern 
end, high tides are formed along the coast, and those get higher, ac- 
cording as the place is further up the bay. The tide outside the bay 
rises about seven to ten feet, and at the top of the bay, at spring-tides, 
with a high S.E. wind, the rise is as much as forty-five or fifty feet. 
The ordinary account in books of the tides of the Bay of Fundy is ex- 
aggerated. The sea water then rushes with great force into the tide 
rivers: at the top of the bay, where the Peticodiac enters, the violence 
of the tide is irresistibly great. In fact, at one place on this river, 
called very properly The Bend,.the tide advances with a noise like 
thunder, and often overtakes animals, or upsets and buries schooners 
not prepared to ride the Boar's back, as they say, that is, to run on with 
the moving wall of water. In the harbour of St. John the tide rises at 
neap-tides to the height of twenty-six feet, and at spring-tides to that 
of twenty-five feet. . 
IlI. When the river is at its greatest height in the spring, and when 
the harbour is also at its greatest height from the prevalence of spring- 
tides, at high water the water of the river above the falls will be on a 
