Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/143

QUEBEC (PEOVINOE) 135 and the Manicouagan, below the Saguenay ; the Jacques Cartier (60 m. long), the St. Anne (70 m.) and the Batiscan (50 m.), between Quebec and the St. Maurice ; and the Du Loup, the Maskinonge, and L'Assomption (100 in. long), above the St. Maurice. The Ottawa river rises in the W. part of the province, and has a tortuous course, first in a N. W., then in a W. direction, of 300 m. to Lake Temisca- mingue on the Ontario border, below which, flowing S. E., it forms the boundary between the two provinces for 400 m., emptying into the St. Lawrence just above the island of Montreal. It is navigable along the border for more than 250 m., the rapids and falls being avoided by means of canals. The only portion of the province of Quebec W. of the Ottawa is the angle made by that river with the St. Law- rence, comprising the counties of Soulanges and Vaudreuil. The chief tributaries of the Ottawa from this province are the Keepawa, 120 m. long, which enters Lake Temisca- mingue ; the Du Moine, having about the same length ; the Gatineau, 400 m. long, which joins the main stream nearly opposite the city of Ottawa, and is navigable by canoes for more than 300 m. ; the Du Lievre, 260 m. long ; the North Petite Nation, 95 m. ; the Rouge, 90 m. ; and North river or riviere du Nord, 160 m. The E. part of the province is drained by numerous streams that flow into the gulf of St. Lawrence from the north. Among these, pro- ceeding toward the east, are the Moisie, Mani- tou, Magpie, St. John, Mingan, Natashquan, St. Augustine, and Esquimaux or St. Paul. In the south, portions are drained by tribu- taries of the St. John and the Restigouche, the latter flowing into the bay of Chaleurs and forming a part of the boundary with New Brunswick. Its chief tributary from Quebec is the Matapediac. The chief tributaries of the St. John are the St. Francis, which forms a part of the boundary with Maine, and the Madawaska, which flows into New Brunswick. The principal rivers of the peninsula of Gasp6 are the Grand and Little Cascapediac and the Bonaventure, which empty into the bay of Chaleurs; the Mai Baie, St. Johns, York, and Dartmouth, flowing into the gulf of St. Law- rence from the west ; and the Madeleine and St. Anne, emptying into the gulf from the south. There are numerous lakes, particularly in the northwest, where the country is covered by a network of them, the rivers here being little else than chains of lakes. The most im- portant ones S. of the St. Lawrence are Mem- phremagog, partly in Vermont ; M6gantic, which discharges through the Chaudiere river ; Temiscouata, discharging through the Mad- awaska river ; and Matapediac, discharging through the river of the same name. The largest in the province is Lake St. John, 30 by 25 m. in extent, about 120 m. N. of Quebec, in which the Saguenay river takes its rise. This lake lies in an extensive valley, and re- ceives numerous large streams, some of which rise in the height of land. The largest of its tributaries are the Peribonka, from the north- east ; the Mistassini and Ashuapmouchouan or Chamouchouan, from the northwest ; and the Ouiatchouanish, Ouiatchouan, Metabetchouan, Kushpahiganish, and Belle Riviere or Kush- pahigan, from the southwest and south. Lake St. Peter is an expansion of the St. Lawrence between Montreal and Quebec. The geolo- gical formations that occur in the province are the Laurentian, Silurian, Devonian, and carboniferous. The region N. of the St. Law- rence is occupied by the lower Laurentian, with small areas of upper Laurentian around Lake St. John and N. of Montreal, and a nar- row belt of lower Silurian along the river bank above Quebec. S. of the St. Lawrence the country consists of different groups of the lower Silurian, followed S. E., along the bor- ders of New Hampshire, Maine, and New Brunswick, by smaller tracts of middle and upper Silurian, with areas of the Devonian in the Gaspe peninsula. Anticosti is occupied by the lower and middle Silurian. The Mag- dalen islands are of carboniferous formation below the coal measures. Gold is found on the Chaudiere river, and mining has been car- ried on in Beauce co., but with little success. Copper is found in large quantities in the eastern townships, where mines are in opera- tion. Iron ore is widely diffused, and is mined to some extent. An ore of excellent quality is obtained near the St. Maurice river. Lead, silver, platinum, zinc, &c., have also been found. Quebec abounds in magnificent sce- nery, especially on the lower St. Lawrence and Saguenay. Among objects of interest may be mentioned the Chaudiere falls in the Ottawa, the falls of the Chaudiere river, the falls of Montmorency near the city of Quebec, and the falls of the St. Anne 20 m. below it. The climate is healthy, but subject to extremes of temperature. The winters are cold, with a clear and bracing air ; the summers are warm. Winter commences about the end of November and lasts till the middle of April. The plateau of Lake St. John is sheltered on the north and east by mountains, and has a climate like that of Montreal. The shores of the Gasp6 penin- sula are exposed to the cold winds and fogs of the gulf. In the N. E. part of the province, comprising a portion of the peninsula of Lab- rador, the climate is much colder than else- where. The following table gives the results of observations for a series of years at Mont- real (lat. 45 31') and Quebec (lat, 46 49') : SEASON. MONTREAL. QUEBEC. Mean temperature. Rainfall, inches. Mean temperature. Rainfall, inchei. Autumn 47-8' 18-1 42-5 69-5 10-88 1-91 5 72 9-80 44-6' 18-8 87-6 66-0 6-66 0-25 2-70 9-66 Winter Tear 44-8' 27-26 40-5' 19-26