6 
Beginning at the west the watershed crossed by the Intercolonial on 
its way from the St. Lawrence to Chaleur bay is only 751 feet above the 
sea, and a wide valley separates Notre-Dame mountains on the west from 
the Shickshocks on the east. Thirt 5 r miles beyond the low pass on the 
railway, mount Bayfield rises to 3,471 feet, according to Logan, but is 
cut off from the next high points by the profound canyon of Cap-Chat 
river, scarcely 500 feet above the sea. What may be called the Logan 
range rises immediately beyond, culminating in mount Logan (3,768 feet) 
12 miles east of Bayfield. 
A few miles farther east there is a depression to 1,900 feet at the 
headwaters of Cascapedia river, which flows south to Chaleur bay; and 
then a rapid rise to 3,000 feet, ending with the small tableland of mount 
Albert (3,660 feet). The deeply incised valley of Ste. Anne river (620 feet) 
separates mount Albert from the highest and most extensive mass of all, 
the granitic area of Tabletop, where about 30 square miles are above 3,000 
feet and six points climbed during the fieldwork here reported on rise to 
4,000 feet, the highest reaching 4,350 feet. 
The more resistant rocks end with Tabletop and the range loses the 
massive, wall-like character it has presented on its northern front for 45 
miles. This wall is only about 12 miles from the sea and is strikingly 
visible to passengers on the steamships passing to and fro. It is surprising 
that the highest points in eastern Canada, seen every year by thousands 
of people, should never have been mapped, or named, or have had their 
elevation determined before this. 
Beyond Tabletop the range sinks to 2,500 feet or less and spreads out 
more loosely, reaching the St. Lawrence and forming the shore for about 
40 miles. It then recedes a few miles from the St. Lawrence, gradually 
becoming lower toward the southeast, and ending at last in the cliffs of 
the Forillon projecting like a spine into the gulf of St. Lawrence. 
CHARACTER OF THE COAST-LINE 
One of the most striking features of the map of Gaspe is the dramatic 
contrast between the north and the south coasts of the peninsula. The 
north side is a smoothly sweeping curve of shore without a single bay in 
which a ship can take shelter. The little harbours are all at the mouths 
of rivers and except at high tide can scarcely be entered even by coasting- 
schooners; but the east and south sides are greatly indented and include 
the perfectly sheltered Gaspe basin in which large ships can anchor. This 
may be accounted for by supposing a depression of the southern side, allowing 
the sea to flood the lowlands and form estuaries at the mouths of rivers, as 
suggested by Chalmers. This depression to the southeast must have been 
mainly preglacial, since postglacial elevation is proved all round the shores 
of Gaspe by terraces and raised beaches, especially notable on the side toward 
the St. Lawrence where most of the habitable land is of this character.. 
Goldthwait believes that some postglacial sinking has taken place on 
the Cfialeur Bay side, apparently after the rise recorded in the raised beaches, 
since the sea is now activelj^ cutting cliffs along that shore 1 . 
Twelfth Inter. Cong,, Guide Book No. I, pt. I, p. 120. 
