Page 49 - Annuaire Statistique Québec - 1918

PH YSIOGHAPHY 23

TEE l\.foNTEREGIANs:-In the western portion of the St. Lawrence
Lowlands, which "vill be referred to beIow, is ta be found the third
group of the hills or mountains of the Province. The general name is
derived from Mount Royal at ~VIontreal. From the top of Mount
RayaI al! of these hiIls can be seen in the plain ta the east. They are
Mount Royal (769 feet), 11'1ontarville or St. Bruno (715 feet), Belœil
(1,437 feet), Rougemont (1,250 feet), Yamaska (1,470 feet), Shefford
(1,725 feet), Brome (1,755 feet) and l\'1ount Johnson or Monnoir (875
feet). The heights given are above sea-Ievel. They are 0,11 of igneous
origin.

THE S·l'. LAWHENCE LowLANDs:-Between the Laurentian highlancls
on the north, and the Appalachian highlands on the south, is the great
plain which is described as the St. Lawrence lowlands. It widens west-
ward fl~om the city of Quebec, and is the seat of the greater part of the
population of the Province. In the western portion this large area is
chiefly underlain by horizontal sedimentary rocks of Palaeozoic age.

HYDROGRAPHy:-The great artery of the Province is the St.
Lawrence river. Hs source is in the State of :\finnesota. From the
head of that source----:-the river St. Louis-down through the Great Lakes,
and the river proper, ta Cape Gaspé, the distance is 2,100 miles. The
St. Lawrence i8 tidal as far up as the city of Three Rivers, and at Quebec
the "spring" tides rise 18 feet. The mean width of the river from
Montreal ta Sorel (46 miles) is 1% miles. Below Sorel the stream
widens into the stretch known as Lake St. Peter. It has a length of
20 miles and a \vidth of 9 miles. The narrowest part of the river is at
Cape Diamond at Quebec, namely three quartel's of a mile. At the
lowel' end of the Island of Orleans (below Quebec), the river widens
ta eleven miles, while at the accepted estual'Y, at Cape Gaspé, it is
100 miles wide.

PmSIOGRAPHy:-M:odern science takes account of the influence
of the physical features of a country upon civilization. The physical
structure of the Province of Quebec is val'ied. :lVIountains, hills, valleys,
plain12, lakes and Iivers are \Videly distributed. The mountains are never
of Alpine elevation, but the water stretches of alllcinds are of command-
ing size and beauty. The greater part of the population resides in
the St. Lawrence Lowlands, but as has been already stated, a consider-
able proportion is spread over the r\.ppalachian and Laurentian high-
lands. The vast reserves of watel' in these highlands, and particularly
in the Laurentians, constitute a factor of great importance ta the
industrial development of the Province. In their descent ta the St.
Lawrence they furnish an almost inexhaustible store of power for
electrical transmission.