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veniencc of making faft to the trees, with which its 

 banks are covered. 



It has been moreover obferved, that in the gulph 

 of St. Lawrence* at the diftance of eight or ten 

 leagues from the fhore, the tides vary according to 

 the different pofitions of the land, or the difference 

 of feafons ; that in fome places they follow the 

 courfes of the winds, and that in others they go 

 quite contrary to the wind ; that at the mouth of 

 the river in certain months of the year the currents 

 bear con lantly out to fea, and in other places fet 

 right in more \ lafTly, that in the great river itfelf, 

 as high up as the Seven IOands, that is to fay, for 

 the fpace of fixty leagues it never flows on the fouth 

 fide, nor ebbs on the north. It is not eafy to give 

 folid reafons for all this, but what is moft likely, is, 

 that there are certain motions under water which 

 produce thofe irregularities, or that there are cur- 

 rents which fet from the furface to the bottom, and 

 from the bottom to the furface in the manner of 

 a pump. 



Another obfervation we may make in this place* 

 is, that the variation of the compafs, which in fome 

 ports of France is only two or three degrees north- 

 wed, conftantly diminiflies as you approach the me- 

 ridian of the Azores, or weftern Iflands, where it 

 is no longer fenfible ; but that beyond this it en- 

 creafes after fuch a rate that on the great Bank of 

 Newfoundland, it is twenty-two degrees and up- 

 wards ; that afterwards it begins to diminiOi but 

 (lowly, fince it is ftill lixteen degrees at Quebec, 

 and twelve in the country of the Hurons, where the 

 fun fets thirty three minutes later than at that ca- 

 pital. 



On 



