Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-08-31
The BAY of Fundy.

This bay, which at the present moment is cau-
sing so much excitement i'll the public mind, is
an immense arm of the sea, extending in north
east direction, two hundred miles, the main
branch of which pcnetrates to within ten or twelve
miles of the Straits of Northumberland, and sep
aratng Nova Scotia from New Brunswick An
eastern branch enters the Basin of Minas, and
connects with the Shubenacde river, which has its
rise in lake of that name, situated about fifteen
miles from Halifax, and at both of these tcrmin
the tide rises between sixty and seventy feet.
At the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, it is be-
tween forty and fifty miles wide, its southwest
boundary being formed by, Passamquoddy bay,
into which the Schodic river empties, decided by
the Commissioners to be the St. Croix, meant by
the treaty of 7S3; at the mouth of which are the
islands of Grand Manaan, held by the British {;
also that of Campo Bello, opposite Eastport, an
island about five miles in length belonging to the
United States, but which was occupied by the
British during the last war.
On the eastern side of the entrance of the Bay
of Fundy, is minor arm of the sen, running
parallel with It, which is called St. Mary's Bay,
and which extends to within mile or two of
Annapolis Basin, which connects with the former
by what is called Digby Gut, evidently formed
by some CONFUSION OF nature, by which pas
sage was effected opposite which, at the distance
of twelve leagues, is the harbor of st. John, sit
uated at the mouth of the river St. John, the
upper portion of which, since the Ashburton
treaty, forms for considerable distance the
boundary of the United States Brier Island
near which an American vessel was recently de-
tanned, is at the entrance offs Mary's buy.
On the south side of the Bay of Fundy is a
continuous range of mountains, Of considerable
elevation, extending to Cape Blomidon, where, in
the spring Of the year particularly, abundance of
the finest amathyst, agate, and other minerals,
are to he procured at low tide, which are dctach-
ed from the cliff by the rains and thawing of
spring.
About twenty miles beyond this cape the wa
ters of the Bay of Fundy enter the st. Croix and
Avon rivers, the tide washing in with such rs-
pidty as to be termed BOAR sweeping before
it everything in its way. The same may be said
of the Mcmrcmcook and Petticodial, on the OPP
poste side of tue main branch, overturning any
unfortunate vessel that may have taken the
ground in such manner as to present her broad.
side to the advancing and towering wave. The
north shore of the Bay of Fundy is equally pre-
cipitous with the other; and in all the estuaries
alluded to, there arc immense mud banks, for
med by the sediment which the retiring tide has
deposited, and extending upwards Of halfa mile
from each shore
Where the tide rises to so great a height as
has been stated, it necessarily runs with much
velocity; consequently the permission granted TO
American fishermen, to follow their occupation
beyond three miles from the shore, is almost en-
trely nugalnry, as it is impossible to anchor any
where near the center of the bay, with any prob
ability of the anchor holding, and the fish feed
inc in the vicinity of the shore, and more cspc-
ciay in the bays and inlets, in Which bait is usl-
ally to be obtained.
Besides the cod fishery which might be car
ricd on in the Bay of Fundy, for distance of
forty or fifty miles from its entrance, to much adj
vantage, were the inhabitants of the province less
inert there is the gaspcreau, the catch Of which
in the harbor of st. John alone, sometimes
amounts to 10000 barrels during the scason-
the herring, which is to be caught every month
in the year, and the shad, which there exceeds
in flavor and weight those met with on any part
of the American cost, from Cape Fear to the
Mirimich river, on the northeastern coast of New
Brunswick.
It may not be unnteresting to mention, that
the herring and shad make their appearance in
Albmarle Sound, on the coast of North Carolina,
about the middle of February, and are caught