334 Notice of a Scientific Expedition. 



tant headlands of New Brunswick. During the afternoon, having 

 but little wind, and not making much, if any head way, we were 

 occupied in letting down empty bottles into the sea, that they might 

 be broken by the pressure or filled with water forced through the 

 pores of the cork. The temperature of the water at the surface 

 was 52° F. That which was drawn from a depth of thirty fath- 

 oms was 50°. As we were about finishing these experiments, the 

 attention of our party was accidentally called to a white silvery 

 stripe like mist far in our stern. Those who had the best eyes 

 soon recognized this as the sea elevated by extraordinary refraction. 

 It so happened that a vessel was sailing in this direction. Soon this 

 vessel appeared sailing upon this mist in the sky. Presently the 

 scene is changed ; the vessel before upright is now inverted, upon its 

 keel the ocean appears to rest, bearing another vessel in position 

 erect. A variety of illusions of the kind continued to present them- 

 selves until the evening closed in upon us. Similar phenomena are 

 probably common ; but such complicated cases of extraordinary re- 

 fraction are undoubtedly rare even in this region of mists. Coming 

 to anchor, we were soon made sensible of the force and rapidity of 

 the tide in this bay ; it swept by us with the ripple and flow of a 

 river's current. We were assured by the pilot that it was equal to 

 nine knots an hour ; requiring, of course, a very strong wind to give 

 a vessel head way against it. ^ 



- By the next morning, a favorable wind and a returning tide brought 

 us near the shores of Nova Scotia, and we were soon permitted to 

 tread on the field which we had so long viewed only in prospect. 

 The place before us was Peters' Point ; we found it among the most 

 interesting localities we visited. That we may speak of the subjects 

 which came under our observation with conciseness and without rep- 

 etition, we shall arrange our geological remarks under a few general 

 heads. 



. Appearance and structure of the Coast. — The coast is uniformly 

 bold and runs nearly in a continuous line. Here and there are in- 

 dentations formed by the action of the tide, which, during certain 

 winds, may be used as harbors for the small fishing vessels employ- 

 ed in the bay. Approaching near the shore, we behold a high per- 

 pendicular range of dark colored rocks, fissured and broken, frequent- 

 ly overhanging their bases and apparently without support and ready 

 to fall. As far as can be seen, sharp angular fragments of rocks, 

 from the towering cliffs, cover the shore. A sandy, smooth beach, 

 is of rare occurrence. 



