NATURAL HISTORY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 307 
-occurred to me that if offset lines at right angles to the line of 
posts were now measured and recorded, it would be possible by 
remeasuring those lines at any time in the future to determine 
the amount of recession of the land in the interval. Accordingly 
with the aid of a companion I measured such lines with a tape 
measure ; and the results are plotted on the accompanying dia- 
gram. The lengths are expressed in feet and inches, and repre- 
sent the distances from the edge of the wood of the posts (which 
are on the average somewhat under fourteen feet from centre 
to centre) to the present edge of the turf over the bank. Un- 
fortunately the measurements are not exactly accurate, since I 
had not the means at hand to make the offset lines geometrically 
at right angles to the post lines, though they are as nearly so as 
they could be made by eye ; and again it is difficult at times to 
determine just where the edge of the turf is. But nevertheless 
the figures are sufficiently accufate to enable us to obtain a fairly 
good idea of the rate of recessioffcof this field when compared 
with similar measurements in the future. Cf course the rate of 
recession is not a measure of the rate of vertical sinking, but the 
two are correlated, and the former is of much interest in itself. 
It is producing constant changes in the contour of our coasts, 
especially those of the North Shore, which are mostly low and 
but little above sea-level. 
To the evidence of subsidence earlier mentioned (Note 43) 
may be added the case of groves of trees standing on sea beaches 
and now dying. An excellent example of this is found on 
Manawagonish Beach, near St. John, and another is at Point a 
Barreau, near Tracadie, in both of which instances the nearer 
approach of the sea, with its advancing beach, seems to be the 
■ cause of the death of the trees. It is possible that we have 
another illustration of the same thing on the beaches of the lower 
St. John, where large elms may sometimes be seen surrounded 
with beach gravel in situations where no saplings are to be found. 
Furthermore, we possess direct historical evidence pointing in the 
same direction. Thus, the maps made by Champlain in 1604 
: show the presence of upland and woody vegetation upon the bars 
at Advocate Harbor, and at Sand Point, St. John, in both of 
