I 



St. Maurice and Sagucnay. 221 



From the middle of this valley rises Cape Diamond, a 

 rocky hill of clay slate, lying in distinct strata, the inter- 

 stices filled with calcareous spar, and containing small 

 portions of rock crystal, from whence the Cape takes its 

 name. 



It is a favoiH'ite opinion that a portion of the waters of 

 the St. Lawrence formerly flowed through the small valley 

 of Cap Rouge, and rejoined its parent stream through the 

 valley of the River Charles, thus forming an island of what 

 now constitutes a cape of the main land. It M'ould require 

 no very great stretch of fancy to call to mind the period 

 when the whole of the valley of Quehec was suhmerged 

 us far as the foot of the circular range of mountains, 

 forming a vast lake, whose waters seem to have retired 

 gradually, without leaving behind any of those tremendous 

 marks of violence, which appear to have been the result of 

 the rushing of the waters from the mountain heights. 



We may very fairly come to the conclusion that these 

 extensive basins retained the waters in a (juiescent state for 

 many ages subsecjuent to the first convulsion, gradually 

 de|>o!>iting the carbonate of lime, which was held in solu- 

 tion, and which enclosed in the operation, the numerous 

 murine animals now found embedded in the liinostoiie 

 formation, such as are found in the lime rock of Montmo- 

 renci ; — this nuist have been [)revious to the last great 

 catablrophc, as we find bowlder-stones of an enormous 

 ui'/e lying on the surface of the secondery formation. It is 

 worth nientioning that mauyof the lakes in the interior arc 

 gradually decreasing, but in no instance has any depost, 

 but of sund, been the result. 



The rocks, in situ, found in the section now un<lfr 

 notice, are grey -wacke, clay-slate, and limestone; but this 



