448 
HULLETIX OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
disappear southward. It is possible that before this trough was 
foi med, all the western branches in question, together with the main 
Nepisiguit, flowed across the country to empty into the sea where the 
Pokeraouch, Tracadie and Tabusintac now do. 
We pass next to consider the Little Southwest Miramichi. The 
part of this river from Beaubair’s Island to Bed Bank is commonly 
called a part of the main Northwest, but it seems plain that it 
belongs to the Little Southwest physiographically, and we shall so 
consider it. The general history of this river seems comparatively 
simple, but it is complicated in detail, as will be shown in a later note. 
It rises with numerous large branches in the heart of the highlands, 
and flows with a great fall (1,100 feet and more) in a deep and wind- 
ing valley over a very rocky bed eastward to the sea. It represents, 
perhaps, the morphological axial river of the entire system. 
We consider next the Main Southwest and its branches, excluding 
at first the part above the Taxes, the latter river being no doubt 
the morphological head of the main river. This part of the Miramichi 
consists of a series of nearly equal rivers running nearly parallel with 
one another, but brought into one stream by a remarkable series of 
right-angled bends (compare Map No. 2). Examining these rivers 
more closely, and passing upward from its mouth, it is quite plain 
that the Renous (perhaps including its branch, the Dungarvon) forms 
the true morphological head of the part of the river below it, while 
what is now the main river comes into it as a side branch. Passing 
up the main river, it swings again to the west, and here plainly the 
Bartholomew is its morphological head, while again the main river is 
morphologically but a branch. Passing farther up the main stream, 
it again swings to the west, and soon after Cains river comes into it 
precisely in the same manner as it fell into the Bartholomews and the 
combined streams into the Renous. Small branches of Cains river 
appear almost to attempt to continue still farther the remarkable 
arrangement,* while it is very probable the upper Gaspereau emptied 
by the west branch of Sabbies River into Cains River. Were the part 
of the main river above the Taxes wanting, it is plain that Cains would 
be the main and largest stream. All of these branches, except Cains 
* Indeed, one is inclined to think it possible that theUpper Nashwaak above Cross Creek 
may once have flowed by Cains River into the Miramichi, a theory by no means without 
facts in its support. 
