NATURAL HISTORY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 229 
recorded in his Report for i88i, and upon the Geological Survey 
maps. Later, in 1886, the surface geology of the lower river from 
Tomogonops River downwards was studied by Chalmers, whose 
comments upon it are contained in his Report for 1888, and upon 
his surface geology map. Many sportsmen have visited the river 
in recent years, for salmon, or for moose and caribou, but, aside 
from scattered notes in sporting journals, none of them appear to 
have published any accounts of their adventures. 
In its physiographic characteristics the river falls into five 
sections, which I shall now describe and discuss separately. 
First Section. From the source to Cartier {Little Bald) 
Mountain . — The Northwest rises in a wooded swamp lying in the 
deep valley which is an extension of that in which runs the lower 
course of the South Branch Nepisiguit (see map accompanying 
note No. 77). This swamp is but little over a mile from the 
South Branch, into which it sends also a small brook. The Nor- 
west flows east of South through a series of short open boggy 
deadwaters and alder-grown abandoned beaver ponds, separated 
by short stretches, mostly through woods, of little fall through 
boulders, until, somewhat over two miles from the source, it unites 
with another stream of nearly equal size, coming in part from 
behind Murdoch Mountain, and apparently in part from farther 
south. This upper two miles is to some extent navigable for 
canoes in fair water, though with more portaging than floating; 
the portaging, however, is very easy because of the open barren 
character of the country. Below the Upper Forks the stream 
swings somewhat west of South for nearly a mile and a half 
farther, and is readily navigable for canoes. At first there are some 
obstructions from shoals, and, after entering the woods, from 
deadfalls, but gradually it becomes an open, easy and very charm- 
ing canoe stream, with little fall, gravel and boulder bottom, clear 
water, and pleasant wooded banks. Finally it makes a great 
bend to the eastward, receiving here a considerable stream from 
the south, and flows northeast, entering the remarkable region of 
steep, conical, perfectly bare, rocky hills amidst which it winds 
in a very deep sinuous valley down to Mount Cartier, receiving 
two important branches from the north on the way. This part 
of the river, as well as the part above to its source, is everywhere 
