1844.] 425 



action of a tide running, in many places, at the rate of from 6 to 

 8 miles per hour. In the northern part of the Gut, the strong 

 eddies have deposited long narrow beaches of coarse gravel, ponds 

 or lagoons lying between them and the shore, which is thus pro- 

 tected from further abrasion ; whilst to the southward, where the 

 strait is narrower and the tides are more rapid, the position of the 

 strata, consisting of strong compact shales and hard sandstones, 

 has contributed greatly to their preservation, the strike being E. 

 and W., or directly across the course of the current. 



Proceeding along the southern shore, from the Gut of Canso to 

 Scatari Island,, the coast is low and rocky, occasionally exhibiting 

 sloping banks of clay and gravel, imtil we arrive at Louisbourg, 

 where the rugged cliffs, composed of greenstone and metamorphic 

 rocks, defy alike the abrading action of the waves of the Atlantic 

 and the atmospheric influences of a climate subject to great and 

 rapid changes. There is very little land fit for cultivation along 

 this part of the coast for several miles inland ; but superior soils 

 are found in the interior, especially on the Miray and Grand 

 Rivers. 



From Scatari to Cape Dauphin, the shore presents a continuous 

 mural cliff, varying from 20 to 100 feet in height, except at the 

 heads of the several bays, where low sandy beaches are invariably 

 met with. This cliff, composed of the sandstones and soft shales 

 of the coal formation, is subject to great waste, the rapid encroach- 

 ments of the sea being noticed by the most careless observers. 

 There can be no question but that Flint Island and the northern 

 head of Cow Bay, now separated by a channel two miles in width, 

 were, at no very distant period, united. The land along this part 

 of the coast is generally low, but undulating, until we arrive at 

 the Granite Ridge, lying between St. Ann's harbour and the ship 

 entrance of the Bras d'Or Lakes, which ridge terminates at Cape 

 Dauphin. 



Having thus sketched the appearance of the sea coast of the 

 island, let us next turn our attention to the interior. In the 

 very heart of the island, there exist two capacious salt-water 

 lakes, with innumerable bays, creeks, and islands, each of them 

 communicating with the sea by two channels, one of which is 

 navigable for ships of the largest class. The Grand Lake is 40 

 miles in length and 20 in width, from the narrows to St. Peter's 

 Channel. In sailing from the West towards the East Bay, we have 

 a water horizon before us, although the land at the head of the 

 latter bay is by no means low. The scenery of the lakes is exceed- 

 ingly striking, the conglomerates constituting long ranges of undu- 

 lating blue hills, rising behind one another in the distance ; whilst 

 the white cliffs of gypsum stand out in bold relief on the margin 

 of the water. The shores of the lakes are thickly studded with 

 the cottages of thriving settlers, and a narrow belt of cultivated 

 land stretches along the water's edge, backed by the dark shades 

 of the forest. All the numerous creeks and channels are navigable 

 by large vessels ; and some idea may be formed of the extent of 



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