New Brunswick

NEW BRUNSWICK, a province of the Dominion of Can ada, lying between 45° 2' and 48° 3' N. and 46' and 3' W. Its length from north to south is 23o m., its greatest breadth 190 m., and it has a seaboard of about 55o miles.

Geological and Physical Features.

New Brunswick is characterized most of all by the transgression of strata of Car ' boniferous age over the worn edges of folds which may be Car boniferous or pre-Carboniferous, or both. The areas of these mainly horizontal Carboniferous beds are mostly well under 500 ft. above sea-level. The remnants of mountain axes running north-east to south-west, north of St. John, reveal Archaean and folded early Palaeozoic rocks, and a good deal of land is well above the 1,000 ft. contour. Between the fold lines run remark able lake-river feeders of the St. John river, which skirts around the south-western end of these folds. This. river is remarkable for its fine scenery and is navigable for 88 m. up to Fredericton, but small boats go 65 m. further, to Woodstock, not far from the border of Maine. North of this the frontier for the most part skirts the west side of the valley up to Grand Falls, which can be reached by boats when the river is high. Above Grand Falls the river forms the boundary between New Brunswick on the north and Maine on the south, up to St. Francis, the uppermost section of the river being in Maine. The total length of this river is about 450 miles. The eastern lowland, with its horizontal layers, including some thin beds of coal, is continued eastwards into Nova Scotia. The overlying Red Permian beds attain con siderable importance northwards, in Prince Edward island, across Northumberland strait. The whole of the south coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from Miscou point, bounding Chaleur bay, to Sydney on the Atlantic coast of Cape Poreton island, is thus bordered by coal-bearing rocks. The main north-eastward drain age of the lowland is effected by the Miramichi river (22o m. long), flowing into a large estuary and generally navigable up to Nelson, opposite Newcastle. West of this lowland area comes a

fold axis which undulates about a north-north-east to south-south west direction, and has been thought to be related to the chains. on the east side of the Hudson-Champlain depression. The fold axis forms a broad highland which reaches a 2,000 ft. level at a good many places in its northern section. The northern boundary of the province is the great Chaleur bay, stretching 90 m. inland and possessing a number of harbours. Into it flows the Resti gouche river, which curves around the north-west edge of the western highland, and for some distance bounds New Brunswick against Quebec.

The coast-line of New Brunswick is indented with numerous fine bays and harbours. The Bay of Fundy is an arm of the sea separating New Brunswick from Nova Scotia and terminating in two smaller bays, Chignecto Bay and the Basin of Minas. Its length up to Chignecto Bay is 140 m. and its extreme breadth 45 m. It is noted for its high tides, which rise about 3o ft. at St. John and over 5o ft. at the head of Chignecto Bay. At Bay Verte, 14 m. distant, on the opposite side of the Isthmus of Chignecto, the tide rises little more than 4 or 5 ft. The Bay of Chaleur, which has several excellent harbours, is over 90 m. in length and from 20 to 25 m. in breadth. The other inlets of consequence on the east coast are Miramichi, Richibucto, Buc touche, Cocagne and Shediac Bays; on the south coast are Passa maquoddy Bay, St. John Harbour and Chignecto Bay. At the mouths of the rivers are in nearly every case excellent harbours. To the province belong the islands of Campobello and Grand Manan, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, from both of which important fisheries are carried on.

The geological features are mantled by glacio-marine deposits, including a basal clay with Leda Arctica, and sands containing Saxicava shells. There is evidence of coastal sinking, so that many rivers flow into estuaries often bounded by cliffs on the Bay of Fundy, whereas the east coast is, for the most part low, with mosses and marshes.