EsKAR Excavation in Nova Scotia. — By Walter H. Prest, 

 Halifax, N. S. 



Read 12 May, 1919. 



Among the interesting but much neglected branches of 

 scientific work awaiting investigation in Nova Scotia is the 

 exploration of eskars. I recently had the pleasure of section- 

 ing an eskar at Middlefield, Queens County, Nova Scotia. 

 I herewith give a general description of this section and the 

 conclusions that seemed to me most reasonable and natural. 



This eskar crosses the road from Annapolis to Liverpool, 



about thirteen miles from the south coast. It is one of those 



described in a paper read by me at a meeting 



The of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science in 



^^'iikt'^'^ March, 1918.* The following description will 



give an idea of its structure and the conditions 



under which it was formed. 



Its general course is parallel to the south coast and 

 direct across the drainage system of the province. In this 

 peculiarity it is in accord with the great majority of eskars 

 in Nova Scotia. As far as explored by me it begins on a low 

 tableland about five miles west of the Port Medway River, 

 descending the gentle slope for several miles toward that 

 stream. However, as a local peculiarity, it inclines up stream 

 as it approaches the Medway; crossing swamps and crossing 

 successive elevations. It continues on the eastern side of 

 the river with the same variations in height and course. In 

 its approach to a wide meadow it has been spread out as if by 

 the action of the waves of a lake of later age. Here much 

 sand has been spread out in banks and flats. This could 

 not have been so distributed except by the wave action of a 

 shallow and wind-swept sheet of water. 



In the neighborhood of the Middlefield road this eskar 

 is from 30 to 80 feet wide and from 5 to 16 feet in height, 



* On the nature and origin of the Eskera of Nova Scotia. Trans. N. S. In8t. Sci., 

 Vol. XIV. Pt. 4. The present paper is supplementary to the former and should be read 

 in connection with it. 



Proc. & Trans. N. S. Inst. Sci., Vol. XV. Trans. 3 



