242 «TA. Blake on the Northwest Coast of America. 
Art. XXIX.—Topographical and Geological features of the 
Northwest Coast of America; by T. A. Brake, A.B. 
A FEW moments spent in the study of the map of the world 
reveal the fact that the coasts of the continents, in high lati- 
tudes both north and south, which are bordered by high moun- 
tain ranges, are peculiarly cut up and present a most intricate, 
and, if I may use the expression, ragged shore line. 
As an instance in the northern hemisphere, we have the coast 
of Norway, bordered by the Scandinavian range, and in the 
southern, the eastern coast of Patagonia from the parallel of 
40° south, ‘bordered by the Andes. 
The northwestern coast of America is no exception to the 
general rule, but shows, perhaps on a grander scale than in 
either of the examples cited, the result of the slow but mighty 
erosive action of glaciers, the formation of which is the natu- 
ral result of atmospheric humidity, and a low mean annual 
temperature, due not only to geographical position but to high 
/ 
_ The published and glaringly inaccurate charts of the north- 
_west coast of America, north of the Island of Vancouver, fail 
to give an adequate idea of the vast archipelago of islands and 
net-work of channels with which the whole coast of British 
Columbia, and that of the lower and eastern part, below 59° 
N. lat., of our new territory Alaska, are fringed. 
The straits of Fuca, lat. 48° 20’ (approx.), are the southern 
inthian channels which 
The western and northern shores of Vancouver are generally 
from the straits of Fuca, and although possessing many ad- 
vantages of climate and location, is ‘am elo under the 
cts of the reaction due to its rapid and unhealthy growth 
during the great Frazer river gold excitement of 1858. : 
The shores in the neighborhood are rocky; the characteristi¢ 
