Post-Glacial Terraces of Anticosti Island. 277 



amount on the south side. A longer time would, there- 

 fore, be required to cut an equal width of terrace on that 

 side, hence their lesser width. Such was the case in the 

 development of every one of the terraces, with the possible 

 exception of the highest, which probably began to develop 

 when no high land existed. If each uplift meant the 

 development on the south side of a terrace with an aver- 

 age width of one mile — probably a far too large assump- 

 tion, as many of them are known to have reached a width 

 of only a fraction of that figure — the time for the develop- 

 ment of the twenty- three terraces would have required 

 as a maximum not above 70,000 years. This approaches 

 the estimate of time which has elapsed since the Ice Age. 



There is still another line of evidence which has not been 

 mentioned. On the Mingan Islands to the north are many 

 rocks which were called ^^flower-pof rocks by Richard- 

 son.^ These are stacks which were developed by the 

 waves, and all of them, are at elevations the highest of 

 which probably does not exceed 50 feet. On the top of 

 West Cliff there is also a stack-like structure at a height of 

 a little more than 400 feet above sea-level. Had this 

 structure been there in Glacial time, with its present size, 

 it would most certainly have been shoved away, unless the 

 glaciers did not rise to this height, a possibility which the 

 bowlders lying at elevations almost as high strongly 

 negate. 



All lines of evidence hence converge to the conclusion 

 that the terraces were developed in post-Glacial time. 



If the terraces are of the age inferred, it folloAVS that 

 there has been a negative movement of the strand-line 

 exceeding 400 feet since the period of glaciation. The 

 existence of the terraces shows that the periods of uplift 

 have been separated by times of relative stability. The 

 hooded cliffs and the ''flower-pot" rocks in the Mingan 

 Islands to the north show that the last uplifts have been 

 comparatively recent, otherwise these features would 

 have been obliterated under the strong frost action which 

 prevails on these islands and on Anticosti. Anticosti is 

 said by the people of the island to be rising at present, as 

 they tell of harbors being no longer accessible to boats 

 which thirty years ago found easy entrance. Mr. Alfred 

 Malouin, who has lived on the island for around forty 



* James Eichardson, Geol. Survey, Canada, Eept. of Progress for the years 

 1853-1858, p. 242, 1857. 



