REVERSING FALLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 198, 4 June 1934, Page 8

REVERSING FALLS.

PHENOMENA IN CANADA, SUISJECT OF INDIAN LEGEND. ST. JOHN (N. 8.), April 18. Twice every 24 hours there is witnessed in St. John one of the earth's most curious phenomena. It is the famous reversing, falls, which is the subject of quaint Indian tradition and has been described by explorers and writers since the days of Champiain. On the outskirts of St. John the St. John River narrows to a width of 350 feet and runs between limestone banks 100 feet high before it empties into the harbour. Down this channel, ap low tide pours a huge volume of water, running swiftly over the rooky ledges which form the river bed. The tide in St. John harbour rises between 20 and 30 feet, and in its ascent it meets and conquers the flow of the, river with the (result that the current is reversed, and salt water of the Atlantic pours up the falls until it in turn is overcome by the downward current. This happens, of course, twice • daily, and at other times the waters are quiet.

Until last year this was supposed to be the only reversing- falls in the world. However, a Canadian hydrographio survey discovered a similar curiosity in an unchartered fjord on the south-eastern coast of Baffin Land, in the Canadian Arctic.

New Brunswick Indians nave a legend that the falls developed out of a quarrel between an Indian god, Glooslcap," and a mythological character, "Big Beaver." Big Beaver, says this tale, built a dam across the liver, Glooscap smote it with a mighty rock, and since then the water has run both ways.