itAJlILTGX ON TIDES OF THE BAY OF FUNDY. 41 



alilivimn of Coriiwallis and the Grand Pre, embellished on the 

 left with the exceedingly picturesque group of the Five Islands, 

 and having the distant blue hills of Hants and Colchester for a 

 background directly in front. Tastes difter in such matters ; 

 but I doubt if any bit of scenery about the Atlantic coast of 

 North America can be found, which combines so much of the 

 grand with such a charming diversity, as this Minas strait and 

 its vicinity. 



A glance at the map will show that the flood tide is poured 

 into the basin of Minas at its north-western corner ; and that 

 a prolongation of the northern shore of Minas strait would be 

 almost identical with the actual northern shore of that basin 

 and of Cobequid bay. Hence a perfect repetition of the pheno- 

 menon which took place when the flood entered the main bay 

 at Brier Island. But here it is, of course, the north shore along 

 which the current takes the lead. Immediately on its entering 

 the basin, there is a diminution in the velocity of the tide in 

 every direction. Its greatest rapidity drops from eight to four 

 knots. All along the north side of the basin it keeps up this 

 latter rate ; whilst further south the current setting in the same 

 direction only attains a rate of from two and a-half to three 

 knots. This continues up into Cobequid bay until the channel 

 becomes too narrow for the difterence to be observable. It 

 must be observed, however, that on getting up into Cobequid 

 bay, where the bed of the tide is already much contracted and 

 is constantly narrowing as we proceed farther east, we shall 

 find the velocity of the current gradually, but very mate- 

 rially, increased, and exjiibiting too, in calm weather, that 

 seething, whirling commotion in the water, already men- 

 tioned in speaking of the Minas strait. My own impression 

 from frequent personal observation, although I have no defi- 

 nite proof of the fact, is that, until retarded by the great 

 breadths of sand and mud flats which it encounters near the 

 head of the Bay, the velocity of the tidal current is as great in 

 Cobequid bay as in Minas strait, or very nearly so. On the 

 other hand, in the estuaries of the rivers of East Hants and 

 King's counties, which empty into the southern bight of the 

 Basin of Minas, the tide flows and ebbs in a very leisurely kind 

 6 



