HAMILTON — OK SUBMERGED FOREST. 



99 



off, by the action of floating ice, the stnmps and roots remaining 

 embedded in the bottom of the Bason. This process, which may 

 be witnessed on a small scale on the banks of any stream, would 

 be continued until the whole hillock or island disappeared. 



I believe that, in fact, this is what has taken place at the spot, , 

 off Fort Lawrence ridge, so particularly described by Dr. Daw- 

 son. This is only a conjecture, it is true : but it is one which 

 seems to be favored by more facts than that other conjecture that 

 there has been a recent subsidence of the whole western or north- 

 ern coast of Nova Scotia. There are no evidences in confirma- 

 tion of the latter view — at least none that I am aware of — except 

 the appearance of these submerged tree-stumps and turf in Cum- 

 berland Bason, and in some other spots about the Bay of Fundy, 

 where their presence can be still more easily accounted for upon 

 the former hypothesis. These vegetable remains cannot be of 

 very great age. We have continuous records of the history of 

 Nova Scotia for over two hundred years. We may fairly assume 

 that these forest fragments became submerged within that 

 period. Had there been, within that period, any sudden subsi- 

 dence of a large tract of country to the depth of forty feet, it 

 would almost unquestionably have been attended with some very 

 striking phenomena, which the inhabitants of the country could 

 not have failed to observe, and of which they would have handed 

 down to us some written testimony. Had there been, within 

 that period, any subsidence, either sudden or gradual, to such 

 an extent, we should surely find upon the coasts of the country 

 numerous evidences of it which could not be explained away 

 upon any other hypothesis than that of there having been such a 

 subsidence. We have no such additional evidences. I there- 

 fore think that, for the present, we are justified in concluding 

 that there has been no such subsidence, and that the instances 

 of the submergence of forest trees, herein referred to, are local 

 and exceptional, and are attributable simply to the action of the 

 tidal currents in the Bay of Fundy. 



