242 Dark days of Canada. 



American continent. The north shore of the St. Lawrence 

 appears also to exhibit proofs of volcanic action. Malbaie, 

 the Eboulements, and perhaps the promontory of 

 Quebec, may be cited in support of this assertion, and 

 the frequent recurrence of slight shocks of earthquakes in 

 the places first enumerated, may be mentioned as facts 

 from Mdiich a continuance of this volcanic action may be 

 inferred. There is, moreover, a good deal of coincidence 

 in the facts stated in the preceding naiTatives of the dark 

 days, and those which are stated by Charlevoix, in his 

 description of the earthquake in 1663, which is genei'ally 

 supposed to hove been of volcanic origin. 

 " A Tadoussac" (says he) " II pleut de^ la cendre pendant 

 six hcures." — Tom. 1. p. 367- — And in page 366, he adds, 

 *' Une poussiere qui s'eleva fut prise pour une Fumee, et 

 " fit craindre un embrasement universel." 



1 will only add, that among the Indian tribes on the 

 north shore of the St. Lawrence a traditional belief of the 

 existence of a volcano in the Labi*ador country is said to 

 prevail ; but of the truth of this assertion, common report is 

 the only evidence I can offer ; except, indeed, to those who 

 may still be inclined to believe that basalt may ultimately 

 be found to be a volcanic and not an aqueous production, 

 for by such persons the recent discovery of basaltic columns 

 on the coast of Labrador, described in the first volume of 

 the transactions of this society,* may be considered to 

 afford some further proof of the authenticity of this 

 tradition. 



• Page 71 to 73. 



