NATURAL HISTORY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 523 
stream, the Tracadie, it is evident that the Tabusintac is a more 
uniform, more monotonous, river than the Tracadie, is shallower 
and less-pleasing as a canoe stream, but has much less burnt 
country along it. But, in general, the two are much alike. 
At the boom above Stymest’s Millstream, the valley broadens 
somewhat, and on the north side becomes sloping, cultivable and 
well settled. From this part downward the river is wide, wind- 
ing, open, well-cultivated upon one bank or the other (usually 
the north), the opposite being usually steep and rocky, while the 
country falls off steadily in elevation. All this part of the river 
is of very attractive aspect, its constant winding and the 
alternation of well-cultivated with rough wilderness lands making 
a pleasing prospect. Continuing downward the river gradually 
becomes wider, and more markedly tidal, and diversified by many 
inlets, marshes and shallows, while the plateau falls off to a flat 
well-settled country, until finally it dips imperceptably beneath 
the sea. Then follows the shallow Lagoon, with its outer bound- 
ing beach, such as characterizes all the rivers of this region. 
This part of the Tabusintac valley consists of two portions, 
having different courses. That down to Cowessaget probably 
belongs, as shown in Note 93, to one of the ancient Northumbrian 
valleys (The Tabusintian). The part below, however, had a 
different origin. Noting its direction of flow, which, continued, 
extends across a great peat bog into the Lagoon, we observe that 
it stands at right angles to the coast, in this respect being homo- 
logous with some minor branches of Tracadie, with the South 
River of Pokemouche and the Lower Pokemouche itself, with 
the South Inlet of St. Simon, and with Shippegan Gully and 
Harbor. It seems very plain that all these waterways are of the 
same age and origin. If, now, we turn to the charts of the Gulf 
of St. Lawrence and draw upon them contour lines following the 
depths, there becomes visible a great trough extending out north 
of Orphan Bank, in continuation of the Miramichi, and this is 
obviously the synclinal trough which gave that river some of its 
principal peculiarities.* Now all the streams above-named point 
down the slope of this trough, permitting little doubt, apparently, 
* On the same charts, it is of interest to note, the great Richibuctian synclinal 
trough is also plain, extending out between Orphan and Bradelle Banks. 
