484 HOWORTH ON SURFACE WLEVATION IN ARCTIC REGIONS . 



lias sunk, as is plainly shown by similar ruins, over which the 

 tides now flow.* 



Crossing Baffin's Bay to the American coast, wc have little 

 difficulty in proving that the axial line pi*eviously spoken of 

 extends into that continent. Thus, in regard to Labrador : 

 '' From all the indications noticed casually by us, such as the 

 " portion of beaches apparently very recently raised above the 

 " sea-level, so as to be just beyond the reach of the waves, the 

 *' land is slowly gaining on the sea. The Rev. C. C. Campbell, 

 " minister at Caribou Islands, in the Straits of Belle Isle, also 

 " informs me that this is his impression, gained both from his 

 *^ obsen^ations and from information given by the settlers. To this 

 " last source Mr. J. F. Campbell is indebted for the statement in 

 " his * Frost and Fire ' that the Coast of Labrador is slowly 

 " rising." f In Chimmo's account of his visit to the north-east 

 coast of Labrador, he mentions many reefs, &c., not marked on 

 the maps. J These were probably, therefore, recent elevations. 

 ^ In regard to Newfoundland Mr. Morcton says " that there is 

 ' much bare protruding rock in all parts of the island presenting 

 *' everywhere a rounded, worn, and water- washed appearance, 

 *' such as can only be produced by their having once been part 

 " of the ocean-bed. Large boulders of stone of different character 

 ** from all the rock around are lodged in all parts. Some of the 

 " most remarkable are on the highest lands. A recent, and I 

 *' suppose still proceeding, uprising of the whole island from the 

 " sea is very observable, and many proofs of it have been brought 

 " to my notice. For instance, a narrow tickle at the head of 

 " Grcenspond Harbour, in which the water now is scarcely deep 

 " enough for a punt passing, was in the memory of aged people 

 " sufficient for the passage of large fishing-boats called shallops. 

 " At Pm-chard's or Pilchard's Island and in Twilling- gate Harbour, 

 " rocks now above water are remembered as formerly simken 

 *' rocks, over which it was possible and usual to row small boats. 

 " In many places, from the same causes, the fishermen cannot 

 " now let their boats ride in the same water where their fathers 

 " were wont to moor them. I have been told of similar changes 

 " in Trinity Harbour." § Going somewhat further south, Mr. 

 Hopkins says : " Two hundred and fifty years ago Sir Francis 

 " Drake sailed into Albemarle Sound through Roanoke Inlet, 

 *' which is now a sandbank above the reach of the highest tide ; 

 " only seventy years ago it was navigable by vessels drawing 12 

 " feet of water." |1 



It is clear, however, from Lyell's observations,^ that we are 

 here on the borders of an area of subsidence which extends along 



* " M'Clintock's Journal," pp. 76, 77. 



t Packard's " Glacial Phenomena of Labrador," &c., " Memoirs of Boston 

 Nat. Hist. Societ}," vol. i. part 2, p. 229. 



X " Journal of the Koyal Geographical Society," vol. xxxviii. p. 258. 



§ Ibid., vol. xxxiv. pp. 2G4-5. 



II " World before the Deluge," p. 22. 



*j| " Principles of Geology," 11th edition, vol. i. p. 5G3. 



