Evening star., 1940-05-12
Canada 5 Oddities
Add 10 Interest
Of Travellers
Boy Of Fundyt Tide.
PIuy Strange Tricks
Worth Watching

OTTAWA, May 11.-Like the
seven wonders Of the ancient world
In their strangeness and mystery
are the scenes Nature has carved
out for herself on the eastern shores
of Canada. The result of wind and
tide, these natural phenomena
yearly attract thousands Of United
States vacationists to witness their
unusual beauty from st. Andrews
sandy beaches to the rugged coast
Of the Gaspe Peninsula.
The Bay of Fundy, that turbulent
arm Of the North Atlantic separating
the Nova Scotian Peninsula from
New Brunswick, is responsible for
many weird formations. Sculptured
by its tides out Of the red sandstone
cliffs fringing the Petitcodiac River
are "1he Rocks" stone men Of some
prehistoric age. These fantastic
forms rising from the sandy bottom
at low tide are only 100 miles or 50
from Saint John, but are ages re-
moved from the pleasant modern
tempo Of that New Brunswick town.
Inspired Indian Legend.
Indians of the Micmac tribe offer
q poetic explanation of the rocks
grotesque shapes in one of their
legends. A fearful dragon, they
say, once lived there and feasted
on white porpoises he fished from
the sea. One day, the monster
ordered some of his Indian slaves
to get him his dinner and the slaves
escaped. Beside himself with anger
the horrible dragon lashed his tail
against the cliff and formed the
huge, stone giants who can never
escape him because their feet are
Of solid rock.
Not far from the Rocks inland is
the Magnetic Hill' at Canning on
which cars appear to coast uphill
without power. II autos on the
downward grade are put in neutral
they Immediately roll backwards,
uphill"
The Reversible Falls Of Saint John
are those world-famous rapids that
pour down for part of the day and
then run up in the opposite direc-
ton. Located at the mouth of the
Saint John River. the falls tumble
through narrow 450-foot gorge
into Saint John harbor and the Bay
Of Fundy. When the tide is out. a
drop of rs feet, the waters of the
river thunder toward the sea in
frenzied whirls, tremendous surge
downward to the harbor. When
the tide is high. six hours later, the
process is reversed: the harbor
waters struggle with the placid
currents of the river and overcome
them so that the whirlpools rush up
the river. At half tide the falls are
calm and boats can pass through in
safety.
Road on Ocean Bed.
Fundy's magnificent tides cause
still another phenomenon. When
Moses led his people across the Red
Sea the waters divided, allowing
them dry passage and closed up
only after the band had reached
the other side. Tourists may we'll
think Of that biblical episode when
they ride over Baybottom road from
st. Andrews-hy-th to .Mine.
ister's Island out In PassamaquoddY
Bay. Actually it Is q drive ION thS
bed OF the ocean" Straight from
the Algonquin Hotel the road fol-
lows a gravel bar from the main
land to the island. Crossed at low
tide it is perfectly ordinary. we'll
constructed road. At high tide the
car would need pontoons or water
wings to get across, for the bar is
then II feet under water.
Perce Rock. at the tip of the
Gaspe Peninsula in the eastern part
Of Quebec Province. stands in splen-
did isolation in the Gulf of the st.
Lawrence. Cleft by some ancient
faulting of the earth from the main
land, the solid mass Of stone rises
1900 feet in absolute perpendicular.
The natural arch Of the Rock Gre
.ates the illusion Of an immense
bridge begun by race Of Goliaths
to Join the peninsula with Bona
venture, an island farther out in
the gulf.
Throughout the entire countryside,
over and above these scenic wonders,
Is the ever-pleasing beauty of prim-
tive nature. New Brunswick's un-
touched forests, the upper Saint
John Rivers fertile soil, the stark
loveliness of Gaspe's rocky promon-
tories, the soothing softness of Nova
6cotias beaches offer themselves
for enjoyment