360 EISING OF THE LAND AROUND HUDSON BAY. 



to 1886, and I sliall now recall a few of tbose and give fresh ones in 

 addition, some of which came to my knowledge on a journey to the bay 

 during the past summer. It is well known to those who have paid 

 any atiention to the subject that since the establishment of the posts of 

 the Hudson Bay Company in the mouths of the rivers around the bay, 

 two hundred years ago, there has been an ever-increasing difficulty in 

 reaching these establishments from the sea. 



On the eastern side the most striking evidence of the rising of the 

 land is afforded by the numerous well-preserved and conspicuous ter- 

 races cut in the till and other deposits. Near the sea these may be 

 seen at various heights, up to about 300 feet, but above this elevation 

 the scarcity of soft material out of which terraces might be excavated 

 renders this kind of evidence less apparent than it might otherwise be 

 at higher levels. 



On this side of the bay one of the best evidences that the elevation 

 of the land is still going on is furnished by the long lines of driftwood 

 which one sees in many places far above the reach of the highest tides. 



The old beaches, on which this wood is plainly seen, occur at various 

 levels up to about 30 feet above high tide, but the remains of rotten 

 wood may be detected in some localities up to nearly 50 feet, above 

 which it has disappeared from the ancient shores by long exposure to 

 the Aveather. This driftwood consists principally of spruce, but a little 

 white cedar and other kinds, which have been brought down by the 

 rivers, are also mixed with it. The bark having been worn off by the 

 action of the waves while the trunks were still fresh has tended to their 

 preservation. Owing principally to the salt water and the cold climate, 

 wood endures for an incredibly long time in exposed situations in this 

 region wherever it has an opportunity of drying quickly after rain. 

 Some of the wood which may still be seen upon the higher levels may 

 be upward of six hundred years old. 



It has been suggested that all this driftwood along hundreds of miles 

 of coast may have been thrown up by some extraordinarily high tide. 

 But there are many reasons why this is quite unlikely. It seems 

 impossible that any modern tide could rise to such a great height and 

 deposit so much wood at different levels all at once and in such even 

 lines, following all the sinuosities of more than one of the raised 

 beaches. The suj)j)ositious extraordinary tide would necessarily be 

 of brief duration, and would be accompanied by a tremendous gale 

 blowing upon the coast. This would have the effect of throwing the 

 wood in confused heaps and only into situations favorable for catching 

 it, such as angles of the shore. But instead of this we find it at differ- 

 ent levels laid longitudinally all along, as if accumulated by slow 

 degrees with moderate winds from every quarter. The fact that the 

 wood is freshest along the lower lines and becomes progressively more 

 decayed as we ascend, and that finally only traces remain on the 

 higher levels, shows that it must have been stranded from time to time 



