﻿I36 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  to 
  break 
  through 
  the 
  mass 
  of 
  sedimentary 
  deposits. 
  Thus 
  the 
  St 
  

   Lawrence 
  river 
  has 
  almost 
  of 
  necessity 
  an 
  outer 
  curve 
  that 
  follows 
  

   the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  fault 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  folded 
  slate 
  and 
  limestone 
  mount- 
  

   ains 
  of 
  Gaspe, 
  while 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  fault 
  line 
  and 
  the 
  buried 
  

   river 
  channel 
  lies 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Anticosti 
  whose 
  rock 
  strata, 
  full 
  of 
  

   fossils, 
  lie 
  almost 
  horizontal 
  and 
  were 
  beyond 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  making. 
  

  

  This 
  revulsion 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  projected 
  the 
  axial 
  line 
  of 
  resist- 
  

   ance 
  southward 
  against 
  the 
  normal 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  folds 
  and 
  

   protruded 
  into 
  them 
  a 
  disturbing 
  antagonistic 
  force. 
  The 
  Nova 
  

   Scotia 
  anticlines 
  were 
  beyond 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  this 
  projected 
  influence 
  

   but 
  the 
  folds 
  between 
  were 
  disordered 
  and 
  crosscut 
  and 
  weakened. 
  

   The 
  picturesquely 
  ragged 
  coast 
  at 
  Perce 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  complete 
  collapse 
  

   of 
  a 
  tremendous 
  mountain 
  fold 
  which 
  has 
  vastly 
  deranged 
  the 
  

   original 
  succession 
  of 
  the 
  rock 
  strata. 
  

  

  The 
  gulf 
  lands 
  had 
  sunk 
  low 
  soon 
  after 
  the 
  mountain-making 
  

   period 
  was 
  over, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  succeeding 
  times 
  of 
  the 
  Coal 
  and 
  

   probably 
  even 
  before, 
  it 
  was 
  chiefly 
  a 
  vast 
  drainage 
  basin 
  receiving 
  

   fresh 
  land 
  waters 
  with 
  their 
  heavy 
  loads 
  of 
  sediment, 
  then 
  again 
  

   elevated 
  into 
  a 
  sand 
  desert 
  or 
  great 
  stretches 
  of 
  bars 
  and 
  dunes, 
  

   and 
  still 
  at 
  times 
  depressed 
  again 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  salt 
  waters 
  came 
  in 
  

   bringing 
  their 
  characteristic 
  life 
  forms. 
  Then 
  again, 
  in 
  later 
  

   geological 
  days, 
  after 
  the 
  day 
  of 
  the 
  Coal 
  and 
  the 
  sand 
  bars 
  was 
  

   over, 
  the 
  region 
  was 
  again 
  elevated 
  into 
  land 
  and 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  that 
  

   land 
  still 
  fringe 
  the 
  gulf 
  shores 
  and 
  make 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  Prince 
  

   Edward 
  and 
  the 
  Magdalens. 
  

  

  The 
  submarine 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  St 
  Law 
  r 
  rence 
  river 
  across 
  the 
  gulf 
  

   is 
  still 
  clearly 
  indicated 
  on 
  the 
  Admiralty 
  charts 
  ; 
  from 
  its 
  present 
  

   mouth 
  southeast 
  it 
  extends, 
  far 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  Gaspe, 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  

   Magdalen 
  islands 
  and 
  thence 
  outward 
  to 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  by 
  the 
  passage 
  

   between 
  Cape 
  Breton 
  island 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  Newfoundland 
  on 
  the 
  

   east 
  (Cabot 
  strait). 
  This 
  valley 
  was 
  made 
  when 
  the 
  gulf 
  bottom 
  

   was 
  land. 
  

  

  The 
  chart 
  accompanying 
  shows 
  the 
  curves 
  of 
  30 
  fathoms 
  and 
  

   100 
  fathoms. 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  clear 
  that 
  the 
  deep 
  channel 
  outside 
  

   the 
  100 
  fathom 
  line 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  scouring 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  

   stream 
  over 
  the 
  rocky 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  gulf. 
  A 
  more 
  detailed 
  chart 
  of 
  

   the 
  gulf 
  would 
  show 
  these 
  depths 
  dropping 
  off 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  in 
  a 
  

   succession 
  of 
  stages, 
  or 
  one 
  might 
  say 
  terraces 
  indicative 
  of 
  the 
  

   gradual 
  and 
  periodical 
  rise 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  bounding 
  the 
  ancient 
  river 
  

   while 
  the 
  river 
  itself 
  was 
  cutting 
  downward 
  and 
  narrowing 
  its 
  

  

  