45 



About four-fifths of the whole surface of the ishuid and fully three- 

 fourths of its entire length were formed hj sand washed down from the 

 mountains of Quebec, as were also many of the sand patches on the 

 Ontai'io side. 



Let us now look into the causes of these formations and changes. 

 It may seem almost superfluous to make any special and minute refer- 

 ences to the oi-igin of these or any sand. plains. But it will be of help 

 to some if a few of the ))iirticulars are given. 



Sand is finely ground rock. Mountain ranges are constantly worn 

 down by the action of heat, frost, wind and rains of the ever-varying 

 seasons. 



It is instructive to watch closely all these agents as they do their 

 work. Any day in the year, any hour in the day, the student may 

 examine and learn much. To quote from notes of a trip through the 

 mountains last July will aid us in this connection. 



" We left our c?mp near the Chapeau, walked along the sand, 

 among the beautiful pines on the lower level a little way back from the 

 Culbute, and ascended the first height of 120 feet. The view thus 

 gained was fine, and a very pleasing foretaste of what was to follow. 

 Directing our steps towards the mountains about three miles distant, 

 we crossed a beautiful river with wonderful embankments of sand over 

 100 feet high. Here we sat, observed and wondered. During perfect 

 calmness of the air the sand kept sliding down in ten thousand almost 

 imperceptible streams, and was hurried along by the swift waters of the 

 river. This sand is forming a bed near and beyond the mouth of the 

 river. 



" At one place in this plateau valley there is a washout close to 

 the point of observation. By a rough but sufficiently careful method 

 of calculation we concluded that from 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 cubic 

 feet of sand had been washed away from one small field. Rain begins 

 to fall. The ascent is begun in earnest. The top of the highest peak 

 must be reached. More than an hour is spent in climbing from crag to 

 crag. At length we look down hundreds of feet below us on clouds 

 and rainstorm. 



" To stand on the Laurentians during a July rainstorm, and to 

 take in all the strange and hazy gi-andeur, is one of the richest 



