BLACK AND GASPEREAU RIVERS CHURCHILL 143 



ginning its journey to the sea during this uplift, having begun 

 its flow a short distance east of the Deep Hollow. 



Probably during this process the Gaspereau was steadily 

 working its way headward until it finally tapped the Black 

 River at the Deep Hollow, and diverted its waters eastward, 

 although that part of the Gaspereau which now lies west of the 

 Deep Hollow may have been a tributary to the Black River. 



My reasons for supposing that the Gaspereau began its flow 

 to the east of the Deep Hollow are based upon the law of coastal 

 plain drainage, that the later rivers grow chiefly by headwater 

 erosion; that is, they cut their valley headward, and the Gasper- 

 eau appears to have followed this rule. A short distance east 

 of the Deep Hollow, near the present Electric Power dam, the 

 river flows into a syncline of quartzite and slate. This structure, 

 in my mind, helps one to understand the drainage of this region. 

 If the Gaspereau cut headward into this syncline it took it a 

 long time to cut such a deep gorge, and during the time this 

 gorge was being cut, the Black River had ample time to engrave 

 its meanderings into the hard rocks of the Deep Hollow before 

 it was tapped by the Gaspereau. 



The Gaspereau has still the appearance of a youthful river 

 where it crosses the mentioned syncline.. Here the valley 

 is steep and gorge like and time has not yet elapsed for it to obey 

 the law of stream development, that rivers seek the lines of least 

 resistance and forsake synclines and move over on the adjacent 

 anticline which is the weaker structure. 



Moreover, before the Black River was tapped by the Gasper- 

 eau it was a weak sluggish stream with a course of about 12 miles 

 to the sea from Whiterock. On the other hand the Gaspereau, 

 a young and vigorous stream with a short course of about 6 or 7 

 miles to the sea from Whiterock, had the advantage over the 

 Black River and captured its drainage area. 



What has happened to this drainage area during the Glacial 

 Period I would not care to venture more than a guess. We can 

 safely say, however, that portions of these rivers were dammed 

 by the ice, its debris producing the lakes in this district; and 

 when the country finally was submerged, the marine waters 

 were admitted well up into the valley. Evidence of this may 

 be seen in the gravel deposits that now stand about 200 feet 

 above sea level. 



