547 



latitudes. The five systems of mountains of 

 eastern America, of which we have indicated 

 the limits, divide that part of the continent 

 into an equal number of basins, of which only, 

 that of the Caribbean sea has remained sub- 

 merged. From north to south, from the polar 

 circle towards the strait of Magellan, we see in 

 succession : 



«. The basin of the Missrsstpi and of Canada. 

 An able geologist, Mr. Edwin James, has 

 shewn recently * that this basin is compre- 

 hended between the Andes of New Mexico, 

 or the Upper Louisiana, and the chains of 

 the Alleghanies which stretch towards the 

 north in crossing the rapids of Quebec. It 

 being quite as open towards the north as to- 

 wards the south, it may be designated by 

 the collective name of the basin of the Mis- 

 sissipi, the Missouri, the river Saint Lawrence, 

 the great lakes of Canada, the Mackenzie 

 river, the Saskatchawin, and the coast of 

 Hudson's Bay. The tributary streams of 

 the lakes and those of the Mississipi are not 

 separated by a chain of mountains running 

 from east to west, as traced on several maps ; 

 the line of partition of the waters is marked 

 by a slight ridge, a rising of the two counter- 



* Long, Expedition, Vol. \, p. 7 ; Vol. ii, p. 380, 428, 



2o 2 



