92 BELT' — ON THE GLACIAL PERIOD IN NORTH AMERICA. 



Europe, but there is not the same evidence of the radiation of the 

 transported blocks from central heights ; and v.hilst Agassiz, Dana 

 and other eminent geologists have adopted the theory of land ice, 

 Lyell and Dawson have advanced many arguments in favour of 

 that of icebergs. The question is therefore an open one, and no 

 where can it be more appropriately discussed than before this In- 

 stitute ; for Halifax stands on ice-moulded hills, on an ice-cut har- 

 bour, and is surrounded by glaciated rocks and ice-carried drift. 



During the progress of the exploratory Avorks of the Nova Scotia 

 Gold Company, carried on under my direction, I obtained what 

 appeared to me conclusive evidence, that neither during nor since 

 the glacial period has the southern coast of Nova Scotia been cov- 

 ered by the waters of the ocean. I purpose in the present paper to 

 describe these facts, prefacing them with a short sketch of the gla- 

 ciated rocks and superficial deposits of the Atlantic coast of the 

 Province, and afterwards to discuss the question of the glacial period 

 in North America, of which these phenomena are the monuments- 



II-- GLACIATED EOCKS AND DEIFT-BEDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



1. Eroded valleys and scratched rocJis. — The Atlantic coast of 

 Nova Scotia is cut into by long, narrow deep bays or fiords. The 

 direction of the bays is roughly north and south. The hard rocks 

 that bound them exhibit everywhere glacial scratchings and groov- 

 ings in an excellent state of preservation and with a similar north and 

 south direction. Going farther from the coast the long bays give 

 place to deep and often narrow lakes, also pointing north and south. 

 Chains of lakes sometimes reaching across the country have the same 

 direction. 



The whole country is hugely cut into irregular meridional ridges 

 and furrows, which are as much part of the glaciation of the land as 

 the scratchings and groovings. The valleys are scooped out of ex- 

 tremely hard quartzitcs and other metamorphosed rocks. These are 

 highly inclined, and their strike is north-east and south-west. The 

 valleys have been excavated across their upturned edges, transversely 

 to their strike. Scratches and grooves might be caused by icebergs 

 grinding along the bottom of a shallow sea, but the glaciation of a 

 continent and esjDccially the scooping out of long valleys, requires 

 the uniform action of a more powerful agency. 



