Casco bay is a fine sheet of water, 20 miles long by 5 miles wide, filled with numerous islands, and having sufficient depth of 'water to Portland for ships of the first rate.
At Casco the character and direction of the coast of the United States again changes. From the mouth of the Chesapeake bay to that of the Hudson, 250 miles, the Atlantic coast extends a little east of north. From Sandy Hook to Buzzard's bay, 200 miles, the coast turns to north-east by east. Including Cape Cod, the bearing of the coast from Buzzard's Bay to Casco Bay, is nearly from south to north 150 miles.
Trn all this great range of coast, of 600 miles, though much indented by bays and rivers, and chequered with islands, yet comparatively it is compact and uniform, when contrasted with that extending 200 miles, between Casco and Passamaquoddy inclusive. 1 Iere the coast stretches something east of north-east, and is more broken than any other equal distance of the coast of America, upon either the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.
In a survey relating rather to the river basins than to their egress into their common recipient, it would be irrelevant to even name the many deep inlets between Casco and Passamaquoddy bays ; we will therefore pur sue our review of the rivers.
Casco bay is succeeded to the north-east by the in tricate outlet of the Kennebec. The latter river is form ed by the union of the Kennebec proper with the An droscoggin, and tlrains a basin of 150 miles in length, with a mean width of 80 miles, embracing an area of about 12,000 square miles. The tide flows up the Ken nebec to Augusta 45 miles, and in the Androscoggin to near Durham. Though interrupted by falls and shoals, both branches afford very considerable extent of inland navigation. Tcconich falls occur in the Kennebec at Waterville, about 20 miles above Augusta, but the stream is navigated to a considerable distance higher than that obstruction. Timber is thc principal staple brought down either branch of the Kennebec.
Penobscot river falls into the Atlantic Ocean fifty miles north-east from the mouth of the Kennebec. The basin of the Penobscot is 150 miles in length, with a mean width of 55 miles. The sources of this river remain imperfectly known, but reach above north Lat. 46°, and interlock with the sources of Chandiere branch of St. Lawrence, those of St. John's river of New Brunswick and Maine, and those of Kennebec. This basin extends over an area of 8000 square miles. The tide ascends to
the town of Bangor, 50 miles above the entrance of the bay. Though draining less surface than the Kennebec and Androscoggin, the Penobscot is more navigable than either, and is considered as the principal stream of Maine. Falls do not immediately occur in the Penobscot at the head of the tide. Boat navigation remains unin terupted 20 miles farther inland. Timber and fish are the chief staples exported from this fine river, the former in immense quantities.
From Penobscot bay to that of Passamaquoddy, in a distance of about 100 miles, a number of small rivers enter the Atlantic Ocean, the principal of which are, Union river, Narraguagus river, Pleasant river, Chan dler's river, Machias, and East rivers.
Union river falls into the Blackhill bay, the Narragua gus into Pigeonhill, or Narraguagus bay; Pleasant river intn the bay of the same name; Chandler's river into English bay ; and Machias and East rivers into Machias bay. None of those streams have sources sixty miles inland, and though in a very remarkable manner supplied with convenient harbours, the inland commerce of the country is very confined.
We have now reached the limit of the north-east boun dary of the United States, at the mouth of the St. Croix, or Schoodic river. Important only as a bourn between two nations, the St. Croix is insignificant in every other respect, and, in a survey of the river basins along the Atlantic coast, merits no farther notice, than nnelely to mention that the Passamaquoddy bay, into which it is precipitated, has depth of water for the largest vessels.
Passamaquoddy bay is only an indenting of that of Fundy, which extends upwards of 120 miles from the north-east angle of the United States, between Ncw Brunswick ancl Nova Scotia. Towards its extreme head this vast gulf divides into the Chignecto channel, and Basin of Minas, both reaching. within a few miles from the strait between Prince Edward's island and the main shore of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The tide flows into Chignecto channel with a depth of 60 feet. This unparalleled tide renders the bay of Fundy, with its minor bays and tributary rivers, of extremely difficult navigation, though, from the inequality of elevation and violence of the currents, this inland sea is less encumber ed with ice than many places six or seven degrees of la titude more to the south.