286 NOTICES OF THE MEETINGS [March 18, 
Island and the Magdalen Isles to the North, as well as the Cape 
Breton beds together with the connecting strata which must have 
been denuded or must still be concealed beneath the waters of 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, may comprise about 36,000 square miles, 
which with the thickness of 7500 feet before assumed will give 
7,527,168,000,000,000 cubic feet, (or 51,136.4 cubic miles) of 
solid matter as the volume of the rocks. Such an array of figures 
conveys no distinct idea to the mind; but is interesting when we 
reflect that the Mississippi would take more than two million of 
years (2,033,000 years) to convey to the Gulf of Mexico, an equal 
quantity of solid matter in the shape of sediment, assuming the 
average discharge of water, in the great river, to be as calculated 
by Mr. Forshey, 450,000 cubic feet per second, throughout the 
year, and the total quantity of mud to be as estimated by Mr. Riddell, 
3,702,758,400 cubic feet in the year.* 
We may, however, if we desire to reduce to a minimum the 
possible time required for such an operation, (assuming it be one 
of fluviatile denudation and deposition,) select as our agent, a river 
flowing from a tropical country, such as the Ganges, in the basin 
of which the fall of rain is much heavier, and where nearly all comes 
down in a third part of the year, so that the river is more turbid than 
if it flowed in temperate latitudes. In reference to the Ganges, also, 
it may be well to mention, that its delta presents in one respect a 
striking parallel to the Nova Scotia Coal-field, since at Calcutta at 
the depth of eight or ten feet from the surface buried trees and roots 
have been found in digging tanks, indicating an ancient soil now 
underground ; and in boring on the same site for an Artesian well 
to the depth of 481 feet, other signs of ancient forest-covered lands 
and peaty soils have been observed at several depths, even as far 
down as 300 feet and upwards below the level of the sea. As the 
strata pierced through contained fresh-water remains of recent 
species of plants and animals, they imply a subsidence, which has 
been going on contemporaneously with the accumulation of fluvia- 
tile mud. 
Captain: Strachey of the Bengal Engineers has estimated that 
the Ganges must discharge 4} times as much water into the Bay 
of Bengal, as the same river carries past Ghazipore, a place 500 
miles above its. mouth, where experiments were made on the 
volume of water and proportion of mud by the Rev. Mr. Everest. _ 
It is not till after it has passed Ghazipore, that the great river is 
joined by most of its larger tributaries. Taking the quantity of 
sediment at one-third less than that assigned by Mr. Everest for the 
Ghazipore average, the volume of solid matter conveyed to the Bay 
of Bengal would still amount to 20,000 millions of cubic feet 
annually. The Ganges therefore might accomplish in 375,000 
years the task which it would take the Mississippi, according 
* See Principles of Geology, 8th Ed. p, 219. 
