438 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 
The South Branch I have seen only for a mile or two above its 
mouth. Mr. O’Connor tells me it rises in three tiny clear lakes, 
whence it flows eastward with considerable drop, falling at times 
over rocky ledges or swiftly over stones and gravel, with little 
Stillwater upon it. As far as I have seen it, is a swift shallow 
stream, in a somewhat narrow valley. Evidently this is a new, if 
not possibly post-glacial, branch of the Tracadie, draining the 
eastern slope of the elevated ridge, some xoo to 150 feet above the 
streams, crossed by the portage road. This ridge, I believe ex- 
tends southwest to form the watershed between Nepisiguit waters 
and Tracadie-Tabusintac waters, and northeastward to separate 
Caraquet from Pokemouche waters, reaching the sea in the ele- 
vated land and cliffs at Caraquet. It is in fact the separating 
ridge between the ancient Caraquetian and Pokemouchian valleys 
of the primal Northumbrian system (Note 93). 
Below the South Branch the river is of course enlarged, and, 
except for occasional bars, becomes readily canoeable even at low 
water, despite its shoaling through lumbering. It winds in a 
somewhat open valley, with a rippling flow and occasional little 
rapids over gravel, sand, and small stones with occasional glacial 
or sandstone banks, while gradually pools appear, sand-bottomed 
and temptingly trout-haunted in the clear white- water depths. 
The banks, as everywhere above, are densely wooded, and the 
entire river very attractive. Descending, the stream becomes 
gradually quieter, sand-bottomed pools are more frequent, 
smoothwater prevails, the banks are of a’der and meadow, the 
valley opens out more and more, until a mile or more above 
Meadow Brook the river is winding in a pleasant open intervale 
basin, which has been partially cleared for camping purposes on 
the line of the Bathurst-St. Isidore portage road, which crosses 
here. Descending farther, the river begins to grow swift:r again, 
gradually coming to ripple over a gravelly and stony bed ; the 
valley walls rise rapidly and close in to the river bed, until at 
Pokemouche Landing, two miles below Meadow Brook, the 
stream enters a deep gap cut sharply into an elevated plateau, 
entirely different from anything above. 
