HAMILTON — ON SUBMERGED FOREST. 97 



find them to consist merely of beds of fi^ravel. Where not de- 

 nuded of their growing timber, its prevalent varieties, especially 

 where the gravelly sub-soil is found, are usually pine, oak, and 

 birch, and often ditTer from those of the neighbouring main 

 upland. These so-called islands vary in area from a few roods 

 up to several hundreds of acres ; and in elevation from 10 or 15, 

 up to 6() feet above the level of the surrounding alluvium. 

 They abound in the marshes of Truro and Onslow. Long 

 Island and Boot Island, on the seaward margin of the Grand 

 Pre are notable examples of them ; and others are to be seen of 

 smaller dimensions in the marshes skirting the rivers ot King's 

 County. We lind numbers of them again in the broad alluvial 

 plains of Cumberland and Westmoreland. In the midst of the 

 great Tintamarr there is one which comprises several farm stead- 

 ings ; and there is another of comparatively large area near the 

 mouth of the Missiquash, and but a short distance from the site 

 of the submerged stumps described by Dr. Dawson. It is no 

 part of my present purpose to discuss the question of how these 

 islands were formed, I think, however, that the supposed sub- 

 sidence of the Avestern coast of Nova Scotia may be accounted 

 for by the disappearance of one of them in the vicinity of Fort 

 Lawrence ridge in Cumberland County. 



I have already referred to the abrading force of the tides upon 

 the banks of their containing channels. The rapidity with which 

 the tidal current saps and removes the material forming those 

 banks is very remarkable. Cobequid Bay forms in part the 

 boundary between the townships of Truro and Onslow. Far- 

 mers now mow grass and make hay in Onslow on the identical 

 spot where, within the memory of many persons still living, the 

 same processes were carried on in Truro, the Bay having chan- 

 £:ed its bed to the extent of its whole width within so brief a 

 period. This is unmistakeably proved at one particular spot by 

 the fact that the remains of a breakwater formerly built in Truro 

 have gradually become " annexed" to Onslow. It is possible 

 that in other localities the tides have made equally great en- 

 croachments on the Onslow shore. Such being the case, where 

 the shore of the Bay consists of a compact, clayey alluvium, it 

 may easily be conceived that the abrading effect of the tide cer- 

 13 



