82 TERRACES ON THE ST JOHN. 



hands and the cost of hired labour was complained of, 

 females in abundance might be seen, for whom the 

 humble log-cabin could scarcely afford a reasonably 

 constant occupation. Except among the French, and 

 some of the Irish settlers, it is considered beneath the 

 dignity of a female to engage in even the lighter of those 

 healthy field-occupations which are not disdained by the 

 wives and daughters of our European peasantry. 



The terraces which the banks of the St John exhibit 

 in so many places were very marked in the neighbour- 

 hood of Presque Isle, about half-way between the mouth 

 of the Tobique and Woodstock. As many as five suc- 

 cessive elevations are occasionally visible. Professor 

 Hitchcock states that, on the Connecticut Eiver, he has 

 observed in some places as many as eight or nine terraces 

 at different elevations. He states also tliat they only 

 exist where traces of ancient basins in the river are 

 visible, hemmed in by barriers, through which the river 

 has gradually cut its way — that they are usually not 

 parallel on the opposite sides of the river — and that they 

 are not level, but slope downwards in the direction of 

 the course of the river.* My leisure for observation did 

 not permit me to ascertain how far these generalisations 

 of Dr Hitchcock were confirmed by appearances on the 

 river St John. 



Another interesting and beautiful appearance, with 

 which I afterwards became more familiar, first struck me 

 in this day's drive. This was the exceeding variety and 

 brilliancy of the autumnal tints, wdiich, on the branches 

 of the young maple and poplar trees especially, began 

 already to exhibit themselves. From a brilliant crimson, 

 scarlet, purple, orange, or yellow, to a dull brownish red, 

 all conceivable shades show themselves in these American 

 forests. And what struck me as most remarkable was, 



* Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science tovlSid,!^. 148. 



