12 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in this country of sea-wracked topography thus deriving its name from 

 its own wreckage. 



It is a region of Appalachian folds and into the ancient troughs 

 between them the waters of the great gulf are now again striving to enter, 

 making the bays and barachois of the coast. 



Gaspe scenery 



The scenery of Gaspe county has a natural geologic basis of diversity. 

 The eye recognizes the profound differences at once even though uncon- 

 scious of their causes. The whole country is underlain by a series of great 

 troughs and folds of the rocks running almost parallel to each other and to 

 the shores of Gaspe bay and these project at the shore line in the majestic 

 and ragged cliffs which form the striking and brilliant features of the coast: 

 Whitehead, the torn cliffs of Perce, the threatening reefs of St Peter, the 

 bold walls of Shiphead, Bon Ami and St Alban. Beneath these folds and 

 forming the foundation on which they rest are the distorted strata of more 

 ancient date that make the low cliffs of Cape Rosier and extend thence 

 eastward in majestic walls all along the south shore of the St Lawrence 

 river. Lying almost flat on top of the crests of the folds south of Gaspe 

 bay and near the coast is an enormous mantle of brilliant red conglomerate 

 and sandstone, rising from the base to the highest summits of Perce 

 mountain. 



If we assume to speak with precision then, these hights of Gaspe 



divide themselves into the true mountains wherein the rock strata have 



been folded, and the great dissected plateau of Perce mountain, where there 



has been no crumpling of the strata. Singularly enough this plateau is 



highest of all these hights as they now stand, save for the greater 



mountains of the Shickshocks in the remoter inland south of the St 



Lawrence river. 



The Gaspe Appalachia 



On this coast Appalachia still lies in contact with the sea. Its rock folds 



present their ends to the action of the ocean and for ages past that ceaseless 



agent has been gnawing them away. This Is the region of the broad sweep 



