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H 
 
 NATIONAl. UBRAaV 
 
 CANA.DA 
 
 BIBLIOTHEQUE NATKWALE 
 
 AN ANCIENT RIVER, 
 
 Did Lake Erie Ever Discharge its Waters 
 Through Dundas Valley ? 
 
 PAPER READ BEFORE THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION, DEC. 8, 1881. 
 
 A SHORT BTUDY OP THB FEATURES OF THE RE-. 
 GION OF THli LOWER GREAT LAKl-.S UUbtlNO 
 THE 0R1;AT RIVF.R AGE ; OK NCTEt^ OX TUE 
 ORIGIN OF THE OHRAT I.AKK^ IF NORTH 
 AMERICA. BY PROF. J. W. SfKNCER, B, A, 
 SC, PH. D., F. O. B., kino's COLiiJiaE, 
 WINDSOR, N. S. 
 
 I propose to briuK br fore this society a few 
 notes on tbe pliysiCdl fuatuivs of tile Glett 
 L«kp rt-gioQ, uhiuii nave a beuring on iiic 
 'ii oriain ot ihp lak-^n tlituidelvvS, wuu u fesv de- 
 
 ^\ duotions therefrom. 
 
 ■ Al hou.^h the btbliography of the suhjeet ig 
 
 Beauty, 1 will nut detdiu ihe ftbsojiatioa wiih 
 a n.ituio of wlmt hM be. n writtt-u. 
 
 Whilst working ous lb-; origin of the Dun- 
 das v.tllcy. al tljo ex re me we.'-ii'ra eou of 
 Luke Ouaiio, the disc .very tiiut ihe vuo-ent 
 great r, ck bjnud valley is only oue of m4q- 
 nihcance compared wiih the tjuried chanuels 
 of preglaoial date led to ihr) bvdader study of 
 the oriiKiD ff ibe lako biMus ihnnsMlvts, as 
 the buried ctiaunel io the Duudas vall^^y up- 
 pear.fd to form a portion of tbe proN'lHCial 
 ou (ft of tlia bwin of Litk« Sria iaso t ^at ot 
 Lake Ontario. 
 
 Oa this pubje3t my first papfir was read 
 last iVIaruh butoie the Amencau Phihirt..pi|.c*l 
 sooiety, and was pubhshed m the last volume 
 issued by it. 
 
 The eame pnper h's been aabspquently 
 repriuied in volume 24 of (ht^ U. por:« vi the 
 Ge lo^'iiial SurVcv <jf Pciiii-ylvauia. To this 
 paper f eqiuni refiivii e will b.> ujude. Dur- 
 i'JK ilie prtS'jLt Uiuiiier fur inr cieiaiiH have 
 been isoik'ii dut, and ol.si rViiiions h ive also 
 ben extended to I hf m re imwottaut small 
 lakes of Central N. w Voik. 
 
 But only s tuc of file results of these ob- 
 eervutions i-au ia^-ra be none d. 
 
 THKOHIES OF THE OIIIGIN oF THE LAKB8. 
 
 Of thes-) there are ih ee : 1. Ttje baein of 
 tile lakes are Keil gcil Valley.-. 2 The bisius 
 weieexi!av,-iied wlu.iiy or paitiy li\ nUcitr uo- 
 tiou. 3. i'he iidrtii- Aern exc IV lie I vvliollv by 
 a'vUio-pher'.o and fl ivi^iil,- eioKion, wi h their 
 ou lit- cl'.aed i)> tlie lirift of the ic- a^e. 
 
 T' e relative Vitlu ' ot there explauaiions 
 will b;) reen iu tlio .-U :0-'t .iiuH p^ge^. 
 FEATURES AL'iNO'lHE PUFOUC AL i UTLRT f F 
 
 TUB ■lUIu; BvSl.N IN 10 lUB BASIS OF LaKB 
 
 ONTARIO. 
 
 The Niu(.'.ira esnarpment enolosea the w( st- 
 ern er d of fjaku itiiio by its lulls, which 
 face the lake jusi ne>oiid us sou hern and 
 Wi-B'ern siiores. Torounh this escarpmeut, 
 at the eutrunoH end ot tiie lake, the lundas 
 valley is exuavat d. In the expin'iel valley 
 the western poriion of Builiuuon hay and 
 the city of Hatuilton are situaed. Westward, 
 however, of Hie latter plaue, the excHvanon 
 through liie escarpment oloses to a width Oi 
 
3 
 
 Plf^' 
 
 AN ANCIENT RIVER. 
 
 rather more than two miles. Of these hills 
 the lower 250 loei are compog&d jf Me Una 
 Bkiale-', aU'l ovi r tl;ene there are tho ttiin 
 interciuti'tt bi'iis of Clinton do'oruitee ftnd 
 sUaleB, Kuriuomitfil by n dtili gieater duvelop- 
 meut of c juipaet N.^iyw-.n uiuoaiiteb. The 
 Renerii'i Hitiiuao oi tne tock" biuadiirita of 
 the VitUn> is ru;linr uioie th>u; 5UU icet above 
 Lake Outwio (5 '6 iuot iiortu of Duodas, and 
 510 ftut Bi'usli ol Aric ibU;r.) 
 
 Afur tiiC e,scarpa!('u' clo es to form a vd- 
 ley of Mbouc two luiles iu width, juat uevond 
 the limits of tho city of liamutun, it' ex- 
 tends westwurd for eix miles, but at Cope- 
 town it becomes covertd with drift, 
 while on the southern sidj, at 
 AncaS'er, 1o<h than f.jur milert distant, 
 it abriip l.y enus. Wo~iw,iid <f (.;op6towi», on 
 the uoriUera hide f;f t'le vulifv, th;; ewearp 
 meat oouauuts ; l)ut i; i- moroor leas oovtired 
 with unit, through wUica ciiere are occasional 
 expojiu--.-8 of 'k V'HiKy iljir. 
 
 Uu the Boutht^m Hide of the valley, as just 
 statfd, the frSMrpmeut (iiiii?, and the counr.iy 
 beyond cn-istn yf a lar(A) hafiu tilled to an 
 enormous ueplh with d:iU deposits, traversed 
 by d(jtp Vilie.V!. 
 
 Tiie ilet per [lortion of tho valley, in which 
 DuQdas is ti uucJ is sepu-cUed Iroiii the lake 
 by Builir.gtou hiii.lits, a iiJi»e of straiifi.;d 
 gravt^l that nsts 108 /et.t aboro tho lake, 
 btiug an oid beach o.jtnpoafj of Hudson river 
 pnbbios. B.hiiiii this rKli/e is tho exionsive 
 DuLidas m-usu, and farihsr up the valley is 
 the town itsrlf. 
 
 As we ascind the Dundaa valley v,'e find 
 that th) eii'iniiel between the rooky walla of 
 the Nia,?ara iimHstoutj becomes kHed witii 
 drift which ria .s in pi ie;.B So the summit of 
 the escirpmriit it.soii, bus which sa traversed 
 by deyp n vines. 
 
 At iho U!>p.jr cad of the Dun'iias valley 
 proper the cuariour of tiie ou-'try did'ers 
 from this iu th'j valley. There is a inrge 
 baain. waieh may bii dttinod apiiroximately 
 by Jr-nviug n liuu irom Aiu'.aater villat^o to 
 the Giauci rivi-r on tl.'o went, thence along the 
 hihs south va:d of tho Gnnd riier to near 
 Braatlnr.i, theneu nortuwar.l to tho mainline 
 of the Gr.;as \Vt ito.'ii railway, and thenoo 
 eastw-j.rd from njir rl «j-ri8i>urg ;.) Oopi^town 
 and the sorUi s'.do of the b^mdas valley. 
 Much uf tliis bi'iiu is from oO to 100 feet 
 lo-ner than rh ' country oulskIo of it, which is 
 uad-nhiid bv li'i ulmost h-Tizontal limestone 
 fljor, oUO fiitt or more ab.ivuL'i.ko Ontario, 
 and eovtrud with oniy m m.r lerato thicknosa 
 of dii;t. 
 
 Bud itt ib'rf b tsin fv.e drift is developed to 
 an eriiormoua exteut, s;>en not only m the 
 
 uoH la the easti-rn poriiou which pass to 
 
 Duudas valley, but also in the very deep 
 
 wells. Even the drift divide between the ra- 
 vines (almost dry) openiDR to the Dundas 
 valley and the liraud river, is much lower 
 than the level couutry outside of this drift 
 filled Ijai-in. 
 
 The depth of the drift in the bisia is said 
 to be very great. The elevation between the 
 two hy8i<:ms of drainage is aluiost 440 feet 
 above Luke O-itario, or 113 above Lake Erie, 
 whilst tbe ravines and deep wells whiwh sel- 
 dom reach tho nek, iu iioate an absence of 
 hard rock in many dIucss, at least, to a level 
 below tue Hurtaoe of the latter lake. In the 
 Dundas villey proper, the depth of drift is 
 very great, iiud cannot be much less than 
 1000 feet, half of whicli is below the level of 
 Lake Oataiio ; for nea,r the margin of the 
 narrower portions of tlie valley produce.t to 
 Hsm Iton, the drift w*d found iu a well to 
 re.ich a depth of 227 feet below the lake on 
 a bed of .Ue.lina sualoH. and in the center of 
 the valley, (t.vo milt's wid(), to a calculated 
 (in rocKs of the Hudson rivur period) depth of 
 not has iban 400 feet, which would be deep 
 enough to drain Lake Huron, and which 
 Would accord witb the soundings iu the west- 
 ern end of the partially filled hike. This 
 being tho case the dtpth of dr.ft in channels 
 in the bat)m wf.st of Ancaster, not more than 
 seven miJea distant, in ail probability reaoh 
 a similar depth. 
 
 Into the western portion of this basin I 
 have found at leas; two preglaoial rivers 
 emptittd, namely : tue Upper Grand river, 
 then entering the basin near Harrisburg, 
 and Nith'a river, emptying northeast of 
 lirantford. From the south eastern corner 
 of the basin the broad depression ot the 
 Grand river valley exthuds to Lake Erie. 
 
 The Grand River valley is characterized by 
 B broad depression two miles or more in 
 v/idt'i, which haa a lateral elevation oi about 
 440 feet above Lake Ontario or 113 f^^et above 
 Lake Erie, and ntill further by boundaries 
 more ihmn IGO feel above the latter lake. 
 The diiit-fiUed bed of the river at Braulford 
 is only 66 feet above Lake Erie, at Seneca 37 
 feet, Hiid at Cayuga (mora than 15 miles from 
 the mouth), it is do*.n to the lake It^vel itself. 
 The lower portion of the river ia through a 
 broad mar.Uiy country. At Dunnville, a few 
 miles from the lake, piles had to be driven to 
 a great depth to get a fouudation for an em-, 
 bankment across the river. The margins of 
 the valley are underlaid by limestone (Niagara 
 on one eide and corniferous on the other), 
 thi'.iijj;h the ravine valley ia (xdavated out of 
 the softer rocks of the Onondhga group. 
 
 In its meanderiugs tho river along portions 
 of its course in several places orosses 
 small spurs of Onondaga ehaly hmestonea, 
 but this character in no place precludes the 
 
AN ANCIENT KIVKk. 
 
 8 
 
 ^ 
 
 possibility of an adjacent buried channel. At 
 most, all »ho waters that could come down 
 the Grand River, even wiili any iuereascd 
 pitch of the country, and a larger y recipiia- 
 tion of moiaturo, wtiuld scarcely ba able to 
 more than excavate the present bed. The 
 country on either one side of the river or the 
 other, is remarkably broken within the limits 
 of the valley, but beyond it is equiUiy re- 
 markable for its level burf.icn. The detailed 
 features I cannot here eater into ; but sullice 
 it to say that njy former coiieluaioDH, that tho 
 pi-eglaoial ontln of the butin of Lake Erie 
 into that of Like Ontario was along the 
 buried portions of the Grand river and 
 Dundas valleys, are fustaiued. This view :s 
 greatly streni^tbened when we btu(fy the 
 hydrography of Lak'is Oiitario and Eiie, and 
 the ancient Jmritd valleys connected with tho 
 latter lake. 
 
 THAT THE DnHDAS VALLEY IS NOT OF GLACIER 
 OBiaiN 
 
 is almost too apparent for consideration. Not 
 only have wo found a river capable of excavat- 
 ing it. but the very nature of tlie valley, witn 
 more or less perpendicular waila, is not of 
 such a character as to admit of its exctivatiou 
 by the erasion of glaciers. Tiie uirtcion of 
 the axis of the valley is about N 7il°. E. Tue 
 summit edfcjs of tho walls on both sides are 
 sharply angular and not rounded ; nor is this 
 angularity tiue to frost action to any extent, 
 as shown by the character of the lakes. 
 
 The surfaces of the rocky floor of the ad- 
 jacent country are often covered v/ith ice 
 markings, but thu striae are not parallel to 
 the axis of the valley. 
 
 There are also several preglacinl tributary 
 canyons or valieya, bus all lUeso hav-a diff^jr- 
 ent directions to the gj.iciated surfaces. 
 
 Again, no glaciern in this legion could 
 have moved north-eastward, and tqaaily im- 
 poHsible would it bu for any endiutj; streams 
 from melting gaoifirs torn jve south we-iiward 
 up an incliuaiioa of several hundred feet. 
 Tnese remarks have uu important bearing on 
 the origin of Lako Oaiario itself, for any 
 force that could have excavated this valley 
 in hard lim'^ntoae along tho true axis of tho 
 lake to a djpth of nearly a thousand feet 
 would be no important aj/eut in the excavi 
 vation of tho la be itself, lying mostly in 
 Medina and older shaly rocks. 
 
 BASIN 01? LAKE ONTABIO. 
 
 Lake Ontario itps-.l! lies only in tht; lowest 
 portion of i muoh larger bi^in, reaching on 
 its Bouthf rn and weaieru murgins to the base 
 of the Helderber.i^ and Ni ij.'ara escirptaentu; 
 on the northern to ihe gently rising lower 
 SiUrun and crystalino rooka ; aud on the 
 eastern to the foot of tho Adironddoks. The 
 
 greater portion of t':e lakti ha'^in is ex.jivated 
 out of Mill Hh!il6Ho£ the lUeiiua, .'JjilHon river 
 and Uiica locks, and in ihe n> rth eastern 
 hhalli w portioti, omv of tini uio'.o caics-jreous 
 rocli-j of tiic Tfi'nton jTro-jp. 
 
 In mv iorini<r otnly of uiis lako, I have 
 
 shown from the H.undinys tl.ar, a narrow 
 
 buiifd cii-muid of 9'J faidoina c'((-piji or wore, 
 
 extHi.d -■ for about S)') aulas fiom n.j.ir Os.vego 
 
 10 t;jo 7dth rnondiiia ; and at a somnwhat 
 
 le..< dtr-t) TOtHihjui.-. to ?!i>ar t.K' jueii.iian 
 
 of the Niiujr.ia riy.^r. Webf.vara .,f tl,\,a limit 
 
 ILe i;,ike i.-i raorj uriifonn in th p h, being 
 
 f.iliei up. I'he lioip^a; Forim'i.jitr, r.pnrly 
 
 i:oah 0! PaUaieyviUfl, isl>3 fa ;i<i.m ,,r 733 
 
 fco», liiis d-.\,y ci.i';tiiJ6t nowhere iLp,icaoiies 
 
 to \vit!iiu tvvtniy wile!! of t;,Q 0;uii;cU.'..i chore, 
 
 ahhou!,',-! it in wuhiu ^i:: mi!i;H cf tbo h.'iores 
 
 of New York. ¥i-i,m the OMiiaui-aa shore, 
 
 the Juke bot.om si. pe,i Kfntly at jut average 
 
 depth ci al;,-j: 2-1. f e. in 11 mdn to 
 
 the dce[i tbanLei, but from the N.^w York 
 
 side, iho .loprt lor tarce or :>ur mi'r.-i la 
 
 douljle that 01; tue nort iern •^iili, r.ud then 
 
 conn s a piuivo over the fticv ot i.a escarp- 
 
 ment, v.liicU 111 l-^.f tia'i t:.'o ru. 
 
 !e.3 iw 330 
 
 feet, comparcbl.i with the Niaf/ara fi:c-irf.mr,nt, 
 v/estward for t-vnii.' diatuaco of tho Niai,'ara 
 river. In one mil- ^.eros.s tho Cfcarpment 
 tho desc-nt ih 21(J f-.-tt. 
 
 Tho rocky of tiii« hubiiiuged e.^ca'pnit-nt 
 are of lluds.ri rive/' aue. -ppoi l)v -. thin 
 Rtraiuni oi gc;o<]y bh-ia^ i\i(dit!a .'■halts. The 
 e.~carijui:nt cm brj traced f.ir iie-irJy 100 
 mile.s, bat ,u tir.'fC(.'iiinj.; w<-atw.ii\l liin lower 
 portion oicouica buiied ui tiie si.'di'aienta 
 depoi;it< a m i!Ki lake. \Vtstv.,-ir,l of Kiui^ura 
 river theetora-'.-metit i^oi.sciuca bytcfiiiienis, 
 yet itf. tx yinncj is re \de krio.va a;, ihu exit of 
 ihe JJuL-daa v.-ilhy aud eiwowhere. 
 _ Tl!s Cijemuni/iibovoEli.rii-i,i(imiii.hpm!ilier 
 thautbe noroon be'ovv, which j.jinsi; utacon- 
 
 siderablo ai.«!i', ijut this pori.iu o. ii le river 
 just abovrtEirnita i:* more uio ieiu than the 
 prefiax-ial ionise of tho CUemung, which, 
 from iJorni'ig, pas.s.-.i directly to Keneca 
 Valley at H..rse Hea, i 4. One ihinii is cer- 
 tain, tho Ontario basir, aa it ivas (lucigiug 
 from ih'j l.-i.-'t !iub-ii.'. jir;. of th Gi:ifii;.l Pi'riod 
 flowed by the rouiw ludieated aud )ini;tred 
 snfhcieTJtly lopf ut tlio luvil 1 f the uppf-r 
 P'lrt of tho Sejieca Vaihv to prodno.j bei.uUes, 
 at th-.i same level aloi.g vim-iouh portion.-i of 
 mar/!in of tae banin Uirii thtre was a 
 great cliuni^o of c 'ntiuentil le>-i'i, the route 
 just iU acnbtjii o.'ulu iioi, hnvn been tiiC pre- 
 placialou'iftof (no b^.->iu of L-ikn Oota;i> usa 
 oon;iderab;e portion of lae Sirau-hanua for 
 severai mil.'H below io>v;(!jda (?;-)S fee nbuvo 
 t'io HH.i) bus .1 rocky bctom (fjijil-y ) 
 Oayu, a V-ilhy w.uul u.'t ntl..r.t anv beiser 
 outlbt, as its summit is 200 feet hit^her than 
 
4 
 
 AN ANCIENT RIVER. 
 
 that of (ho Viillpy of S^dpob LiVg, »nd con- 
 nects witn the Suiiq'uhH'it^a bv diiai'iij-bed 
 valie 8. A jiot iml ai iiia iiiouib of thoffi- 
 peike lity id ii' at^H uu auiiient deutli of the 
 Bii queti'iuiia Ri er tu at Idti-t 1.170 feet 
 bi-li>w tl)» H' a Itvol. Miiny of ihe stisaiuri ia 
 N -rihern P.-uu-vlvania uov i' il)Ut'trK8'if tlio 
 Susqiirthatina id cate au uritiiiial ini,- li.wird 
 fl p\v to S'lieoa Likt! P.>r rlie (irtglaoiil OU'.- 
 let of tlie O itfiri ■ bi-iii t I h ive ben by ihe 
 tbe ShuG'!* tiiid Su-qi-hdiina Vtlleys a very 
 great level oorill, iij,i a'oiiI I liave bren uectS" 
 
 Bary, bat of tins vi hivd uji ibo ei/iiienca. 
 
 B/.SIN Oli" LAKE ERIE. 
 
 The psectdinjiv hIihIIow ba«in of Lsi^e Eiie 
 ban it-> l)i)tt. iiQ as near a Ujvtl plain as ><ny 
 term rinl iia'i cnu bti. TIao iiicnn (lip:h f r 
 a Kiva . p'liiiiin 'if tbi' ba^ia does not vary 
 bevQijd the iimit>< (Jt froixi twi he to ftiurtten 
 fath ■ra". A dt'eper port cii of ibe luke, h-iw- 
 ever, id f Hind souciiward Kiideai-t-vard uf Li; g 
 Poiat, wuere, lor ab ut foity milesi, tlie dt-ptu 
 exo<>eda t.ven y fitliomn — iu Bome places 
 reaubiog thirty five fath)m3. Ttiis deeper 
 p irti m turns around Loap; Point, 
 Aid takes a oursi tovaida Haldituatid 
 Ouuiity, ia Oannda, in the rtiiecioa 
 of tbe preaen: luoutii of the Gi'nud 
 Tiver. The ouilet of the like tiwardd the 
 N aga-'a river, has a rjcky bjttom, (ooruifer- 
 oaa limestoue ) 
 
 BASINS OF THE OTBEB OBKAT L&EES. 
 
 As I h*ve pointi'd out elaewhere, Lakes 
 Hann and Mi ;h giu pariakr) uf lue chtno- 
 ter of subu'iii,! \ a leva travers d by liver 
 systenn. Dc. N 'wDeny o >a-ider3 thit th !He 
 two iak'f-i have b-'ii sepirattd at a coaipara- 
 tiVBlv n n period 
 
 Witu till-, vie* I am ino'inel to oonjar, 
 and I! iti-equHiit.ly hivt! class-id^d Hu;oii wiih 
 tlie hnv <i' bi-ai ia^es. Oa a oireful study. 
 Like jjup nor appears tt be a vallt-y of 
 ero-iou rather than a feologiod valley, al- 
 though r.8 pO'iiioii miy hive been partly 
 divided by geol.ij'c U ddiirp-sions Like 
 Miobigau is even now a ui i-t de- p en^u^h to 
 drain tne greater Itue whose prubible outlet 
 WIS aloii.' a route bnuv :en rh^ 'ariutU of the 
 Ch icuiate riv^r, aud the norttiera end of 
 Like Michigan acr.)BS theoouutry aijaoent to 
 Manistiqui) lake and river. It has been fre- 
 quently sugKested ihit Lake Miohi,i7aa hid a 
 preglaoial outlet into the Illinois rivc-r. Since 
 a small wet cuuiug wa? mide near Cbieatro, 
 some years 8' nort, waters f mm the lake now 
 pa'StitIn Vll-si-sioui drainm^q However, 
 t 'e p I'iil'i'in! U !■ t '!:-m n if v- t h I'o ilj^ 
 1' V ■ > .. -i (I i. ■- 1,1 '• p '. . I li,i 
 
 Auo^ a ha. .I.,; i;u...Uwi .x.^.^. 
 
 THE PREOLACIAti OUTLET OP LAKE HURON. 
 
 As the d'pjeusion frum Geort^ian bay to 
 Lake 0:it'irri> in uudeiLiid by a rocky floor' 
 more ih ko '^OJ fei't above the former witer, 
 there r<-iu till o iiy tvvo p jssiole routes, one 
 thi Pre«lauiti (ii8char(.,e. One of these 
 roiit-H b- tlio Strait of Muckinao, where the 
 dee^'e3^ inouudii g is only 252 feet with the 
 north eusttro pursionof L^Ke Aliobigan very 
 Fhalluw. The other and probanle route is 
 by a buri-d ch'innel to Lnke Erie. 
 The eoutiivvi stern o lunties of Ontario 
 Where bjriiiK-i have been inaletja d pth, 
 through tbe drift of 2tiU aud 152 feet re-tpeo- 
 tiv-iy, be leath the euiface of Lake Erie. 
 'J-htse b..rinj^ti uppear to ioilicato marginal 
 (ieptht? of a I'leai ciianni'l excaviited out of an 
 area of i^of DiV(.nifiu i-halt s. Dr, Hunt has 
 cotleoved mauy of the record-i of the borings 
 in this i-ection of the province and from them 
 ■we dud tlidt ouirdJe of the buried channel 
 Lard rocks ii~n to a considerable belMbt 
 abovf:! Lake Erie itself. 1 have shown else- 
 where that this channel is in all prcVabdity 
 a p irtiou of the preglaciaJ outlet of Lake 
 Eiie j i'leJ by buried channels along tbe 
 r.iiite. Au outlet by this route \vould per- 
 fectly account for tlie outline of the shore of 
 Lake Erie, aud the greater dcpibs of tbe 
 lake fioiu the r. gion of Port S anley, around 
 L •na, Point, to.vards tbe Grand Biver. 
 Whrthfr this r^ute is s-.fBi ently deep to 
 drain the dtepest place iu Luke Huron (760 
 feet,) or not, his not been ascertained by 
 actual observation, but certainly tbrou^ih the 
 hijjbest portion of the bariier in the Dundas 
 V.dley the hurii J ciui-uiel is deep enough for 
 all purpo. v'.s. Aluiy valL-^ys now partly bur- 
 ied were once tributury to this great river 
 syst. m. In fact, the basin of Lhke Erie 
 abourj'iJa with them as if it were nothing more 
 than u crand plain or rrsirie traversed by 
 many gtreains cut into tbe uoft rocks out of 
 which most of the lake is excavated. 
 AmongBt the most important tributaries from 
 the south were tun Cavahoga (wnose vality 
 according to Dr. Nn.vbarry, is 228 feet be- 
 neath the like surtactj) r.he Grand River, of 
 Olio; and the upper Alleghany, which Mr. 
 F. 0. Croll at the close of last year, 
 demonstrated as flowing into Lake 
 Erie crar Dunkirk, as also some other 
 rivers of Pennsylvania now sending 
 their waters into the Ohio. The Grand 
 Biver of Ouio is interesting as being tbe por- 
 tion of a magnificent anri remarkably straight 
 river, now reprtsfnted by portions of the 
 valleys of the Moni»ni;abeIa, Upper Ohio, 
 B-^aver (reversed) Mahoning (reversed, this 
 Ml (^-nl -h w lo luve hci ti the Cms ) and 
 ' ir o I () M I- r. (■• ir -v p 'ine i oiu ii ( !♦( 
 
 : 
 
 fit 
 
AN ANCIENT RIVER. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 Upper Alleghany emptying near Dunkirk, 
 would be directly oppo-iie tiio outlet of the 
 Erie basin, as before desoiibed. 
 
 EXCAV4TI0N8 OF TUK LAKE BASINS. 
 
 Having demonstrateil that a gmat system 
 of rivers extende'l throu;^b the various Jakes 
 it becomes apparent at once as tlio gienter 
 portion of all the great JaKes.exsHpt Suptrior, 
 are excavated mostly out of ihe more or It-MS 
 shaly rocks of the various regions, thfit the 
 erosion of atmosphoiic agenoifs would teud 
 to iVBvr the coaury iujo g.-ntly uniula- 
 ting basins, for such only <iro the bottoms of 
 the great lakes. In fact the lake bottoms 
 have more uniform slopes than the adjieeut 
 surfaces of the couutry fxpoaod to atmoa- 
 pherio influecos. Wliether geoioi?ical 
 valleys first determined the position of the 
 lake basins, I do not viuture to surmise, but 
 one thing is nertain th it four of the great 
 lakes, at least, are wholly produced by ero- 
 sion in almost horizontal ricks. Also the 
 small lakes of central New York have not 
 had their position determined by geologi- 
 cal faults as shown bv Conrad forty years 
 •go. 
 
 HYPOTHETICAL GLACIER ORIGIN OF LAKES. 
 
 The hypothenis that th > lakus were exca- 
 vated by glacit rs will now be briefly ex- 
 amined. One cannot do butter than «ive a 
 summary of wjat Prof. VVhitaey (in clim,ilio 
 changes) says with regard to the 
 erosive power of ice. " Ice per se has 
 no erosive power. Glaciers are noj 
 frozen to their beds. Ice permeated with 
 water acts as a flexible body and c«n flo v ac- 
 cordingly. In neither the extinct glacier 
 regions of California, nor in the nhrunkon 
 glaciers of the Alps will it be found that ice 
 scoops out channels with vertical sides as 
 water does. 
 
 No change of form can be observed at the 
 foymer line of ice. 
 
 It can now bo sosn that a groat river ex- 
 tended from Lake Erie trirom.'h the Dandas 
 Valley, and through Lake Ontario, at the foot 
 of a now submerged esc^rpmBut, receiving 
 along the way the waters from great buried 
 river chaunels, of which the Genesee river 
 was one of the largest, as the Niagara was 
 not yet in existence.- 
 
 Bffore conKii-riog farther the causes of 
 the excavation of the lake, lee us examine 
 where there could have been an outlet for the 
 waters of this great rivor system. 
 
 MSBIBILITIES OF AN OUTLET BV THE ST. LAW- 
 
 BENCB. 
 
 The northpqRtPfn pornon of L^ke Ootiirio 
 is ver> Hli.llnw alUi u>i'\ iIih n untrv Mir 
 rouudiug ii la ijw, jet ii is uudtriuia by hard 
 
 rooks, which are so frequently exposed throueh 
 the moderate thickness of drift as to preclude 
 the idea of a great burit-d channel existing 
 aoj'icent to tlie at. Lawrence, which, a short 
 di!-t'iucH b.'low the outlet of the lake, fl.iws 
 over Luureniian rock.^. Ho.vuver. in northern 
 New Y..rk,but south wjini of the 8t Lawrence, 
 there are s )iun unimportnut buried channels 
 connected with the 'Ont«rio bahin. The St. 
 La^vrence rivtr its If is inoderu from Lake 
 Ontario to the junction of the Ottawa river, 
 though t'5o lowest portion of the river is con- 
 spicuously of aijcit-nt •-■ate. with pot holes in- 
 dicating a dipth of nearly 1,200 feet, without 
 a cousuieiable chnuge of levt i, f-uch as either 
 thiit wliich woiid be produced by a level 
 subnidfuce of northf astern Ontario and the 
 Uuper St. Lawriiuco, or a very great northeicn 
 subsidence during a periid of southern eleva- 
 tion. Any post-ibihty of the preglacial out ■ 
 let of the Ontario basin by the St. Lawrence 
 seems impossible. 
 
 POBHIBILITIES Of AN OUTLET AT THE SOUTH- 
 EASTERN END OF TUB LAKE. 
 
 Betwcea the eastern shores of Luke Ontario 
 and the foot of the Adirondacks, thH broad 
 plaua appears to mark thef.irmfrlake bottom 
 belore the lake cotiti acted to within the pres 
 Btnt limits. This remark holds good for the 
 great level bf tween the southern margin of the 
 lake and the escirpmeut to the south.although 
 160 feer above it. 
 
 The levol country southeast of the lake is 
 umierlaid by almost horizontal Palai-ozoic 
 rocks. wi)ic!i are espjsed along mariy of the 
 streams, iind are oovered gentraliv with no 
 great tijicUntss of tiie drift." ' ' e^ie rock 
 expouurt^s are t^c-eu as far souih „ short 
 
 dirttanoe north of Oneida lake. 1 ':ey &re 
 also seen Klong the Oswtgo rivtr, and the 
 lower poriiou of the Seneca. Howe'-'-r, there 
 is a deeply buried basin in the region of 
 Onondaga lake. Oueida laUe is only 60 feet 
 deep aud 127 feet above Lake Ontario, and 
 18 situated in a basin of drift. Onondaga lake 
 is 119 feet above Lake Ontario, and is about 
 65 feet in iha deeptst sounding. It is a 
 modern lake, situ-tted in a great drift filled 
 basin. Tiie shallower portion of this basin 
 is towards the northern end of this lake. It 
 increases in depth on approaching Syracuse, 
 but again becomeiJ somowhat shallower on 
 passing southward of this city. The drift 
 lilled basin reaches to a depth of about 290 
 itet beiow the surfaoo of Lake Ontario. 
 Southward of Syracuse the country rises to 
 the escarpment forming the southern bound- 
 ary of the Ontario Valley. 
 
 F)r unny yearn, ugg«8fion<( have been 
 m dn that ih- I'r.uiKji,,, ,;u i^t of L.k-. On- 
 tario A us hy iho buneUbjoiujuat utBOnbed, 
 
AN' ANCIKNI' RIVER. 
 
 emptvinK its waters by tlie Mobawk and 
 JUudBOD rivers into tLo Atlantic. 
 
 tlowovir, tiiui outlet is not poPBibla as 
 Bliown by Mr. Crdl, for the JMobav/k river 
 psBBes over uictumorj.hi'c roeks as LiUlo 
 FallH, Uerkimrr ooiu.ty, at an elevation 
 above Likf. Out'trio ol libonk lUh feet, witli- 
 out the pO'iHibility of an ailj)«?i»t liuricd 
 ohannel tiiiou>;b the r<<n.:ing hilln, tbroiif,'h 
 which the Mobawk Vailey is cut. The oi li^in 
 o( tho Onnudj ,!i basin, than apfxara 
 to have botm by a river 'vulley 
 cxteuding from the AdiroDdiick Moun- 
 tains wo'jtAvarl wi oiiyiiin;; into 
 the On'atio basin L'orUiwar'! of Cajii;^a hiki?, 
 having formt-d nlorit; t!ie oaiirco of th'o baaiu 
 now occupied by .inft nmten.il and Onondaga 
 lake, and perhtijiH that alno of Oneicia lake. 
 
 BIoRt of the other I ikes, especially those 
 having a more or Ufl.s raoridianal direction, 
 lie in weat valioyc. aud are only ciostd up 
 ancient river valleys. 
 
 Ail (;f tlieae lakes, exc.pt Genesee and Cay- 
 uga, are at a coiisLJerable elevation. One of 
 the deepest of thesj elevated iake.s io Sirauca- 
 telef, 613 iVet above Lake Ouiaiio aud 320 
 feet deep. This lake aa well a* Owuneo have 
 northern modern outlota over rocky bsrrieiH. 
 They he iri vivney.^ i^tveral huadrcd feet deep 
 (SOO^feot or mori), aud evidently emptied into 
 the Suequehanaa river iu someformer Keolog- 
 ioal times, 'xlie valieya of thtso kkes, aa 
 well ai several river valleys in tho region, now 
 having northern outlets, such as those of 
 Onondaga and Bu'.teruut Orec k, all r.idiato 
 froai aitJRCfrntor comiui n pointe m they ex- 
 tend northward, evidently showing a former 
 southern diiyohtin.re. HoweviT, it, is exeeed- 
 in^ly difficult to d.tormino how much of the 
 valleys are ot prcuiliiuiiil, and how much of 
 iutergkciai or postgKcial date, for there are 
 evidently time periods of ero.-'ion- the vnllevd 
 produced in the interglaoial and modern 
 epochs coiLciJiiig. 
 
 Thus far no apparent outlet of the great 
 ancient Ontario basin has prf seated itself. 
 
 However one other route nt first appeared 
 possible : 
 
 BT THE SENECA LiKK, CnUMUXG AND SOSQCE- 
 HANNARIVKKS. 
 
 The features fav,)ring this Buc^treation are : 
 1. The greatest iJepth of Lake Ontario north 
 of Seneca lake. 2. The depth of Seneca lake, 
 which is 612 feet or 123 feet below the level 
 of L^-ke O'U-ario. 3. The uirsct CiiBriinuitvof 
 Seneca Lake valley witn that of the Ghemiing 
 at Eimira, and of tho latter valley with that 
 of the Susquehanna at Sayre. 
 
 Aside froui the momii)ic flcnnmula'ions, 
 there is nothing to prove the former exist- 
 
 f noe of the glacier, except the smooth pol- 
 ished or rounded i-urfaces of the rocks, which 
 have no m<ire to do witu the general outline 
 of the oroi-s section of tho valley than the 
 uiaiks of the cabinet mnker'u sandpaper have 
 to do with the shape and s'ze of tho article of 
 furniture whono face ho has gone over with 
 tlir.t mnterJal. 
 
 Th.' moat iyjp.ortant work of glaciers is the 
 Sllralcbi,^g aud firooviug of surfuces. Tbia 
 may, hov/t v.i)', l:, d'.no by dry rubbing, and 
 ther< fore is. Wared ecratched stoufs or patchea 
 are no eviiJe;icfi. The underlying rock sur- 
 faces may lose thier nhnrpene'SH, owing to con- 
 tained t?etritnl material beneath Alpine 
 glaciers, and this is the result of water more 
 than ice. 
 
 The only cbaractoristies oi ice action are 
 Btritttion aud polishing. All lloaliug ioo shod 
 with (touts inrA'm in tiioji will scritoh sur- 
 facvs over which thty rub. The only glacial 
 lakfcH cvhich are formed are those where pre- 
 exiMling vdlk^H have been closed by moramic 
 matter, but the watc r will soon reopen these 
 dams by running over them. 
 
 Such are the dsductions of the late Director 
 of the Geological Survey of Calirornia, a man 
 who has had opportunities for studying the 
 action of glaciers batter than probably 
 most other KeoloHists in America. So 
 far, Prof. "^Vnituey's iuvestigations are 
 applicpble to (.ur great lakes. Mr. Gefirge J. 
 Hiude, F. G. S., one of tho few geologists who 
 has wriatn from a Canadian stand paint, is 
 anmioomp(omiHing glacia ist. Because he 
 has a» en scratches in the northeastern end of 
 Lake Ontirio, and alRo others in a similar 
 direction at tiie we8t.n-n eu'l of the lake, 
 therefore he awterts that Lake Ontario was 
 excavated by a ylucier. Dr. Newberry accepts 
 hiri .statfiiients as proof, but oaafiders that a 
 preglacial valley determined the direction of 
 the continental glacier. Mr. Hindn also as- 
 serts his boiiff that the buried valley of the 
 Niagara rivti (by way ot St. Davids), as also 
 those at Dumhvs, are of glacier origin. It 
 lias been pvov-'ed uucon»rovertil)ly that the 
 Dundas Valley i^ a buried river channel. 
 Also the Valley of 0«eu Sound and the St. 
 David's Valley are both beds of preglHoial or 
 iDtergIaoi«l rivers. Let ua analyze the direc- 
 tion of the ice scratches iu the neighborhood 
 of the western end of Lake Ontario. I have 
 not seen any, out of very many sets, that is 
 parallel with the axis of either the Dutidaa 
 Valley, except possibly one poiiEhed surface 
 in the valley, or the axis of ihe lakes, but 
 always at considerable angles to it. In the 
 reyi-n of KinRs'on, the prevailing scratches 
 are H. 45° W , aud some oth^r8 8. 85° W., 
 neither of which directions are parallel with 
 
AN ANCIENT RIVER. 
 
 luki) 
 
 HUh- 
 
 »re 
 
 tlie 
 
 the axis of the lake. Granted that Mr. Hinde 
 observed Horatohes which were paralUl with 
 the axis of the luliew. tliey df juct Baity woulii 
 have been at augl»B with tho tiilnuerta'd 
 eeoarpiueut If an.y glacif r could have Btnopivi 
 out the bHsia of Luko Outario, i. left tlio 
 Bummit edj^-ts of the Niiii/iira csi-arpuienk aa 
 sharp as podsiblt', nmi ut.t plutud otf. Also 
 if it oxcavat'jd tho deep tioui^h of the 
 it left a Bummit of suit Medi/i;i slirtlea 
 the harder Hudaon Kiver jocIsh of the 
 merged oscart^jnent, beneKth which 
 Utioa shales. From Dundas to 
 treor^ian Bay tho face of tlio eecirp- 
 ment (mugani) is Iuhs abrupt, but 
 even here, th; ro haa not ho n h ft more 
 than fifty fuot of driit; at its foot, aud 
 this is modtly, if not ii'.tOh'sthe-r, str^itilifd 
 (exonptinK in channela now hutieJ). Tlie 
 observaUonsof Prof. U. Y. Hinde, on the 
 coast of Labraior, are inlorestir.f,'. Hn has 
 shown pan iot^ at iho prusenttime is^olisbing 
 tho sides of cliflEs, aud ha^ been c.iutinmug 
 Its action whilat tho coatst Ijbs b?en liamg 
 aevtril hundred feet. Even under tho 
 ledges of ovt'rhanjnnf; roekn tho acvion ia 
 now going on— a pht-nnmeiiau whicli, if in 
 tho lake region, vvouhl bo atlnbutoi to 
 glaoierH. Also, ho haa Been b.iulder clay 
 being formed at the present ti mo by the ac- 
 tion of pan ice (frozen sea water). "Thin with 
 a thiokuH.is of « or 10 fr.et gets piled up by 
 the action of waves and wiui, and conse-. 
 quently in the b'iys of the coast of L ibridor, 
 it polisUes rock bottoms to a d-otli of fifteeu 
 feet or more below the inirttc;) of the wutur, 
 and grinds off roush sarfaces. I bave fra 
 quently Been, myHt-lf, iu uorHitra regions, 
 high boulders transported by tho ioo to which 
 they were fn zen iu tho margin of small 
 lakes. From what ha^ b^en written, it; sterna 
 to me that tho glacial oi-i^in of Ltko 
 tario do 's not ret^t on a sinHle b liirt furtb • 
 than that icu saratiihiusH, (pf'J^uoibla by 
 either glaoioi'3 or is^birgs, neither of whicL 
 need bo great erosive a;enta), are st'eu at 
 various places about Like Ontario, both 
 above ana bel.ivv the wmer-k./ti. Tii- re- 
 marks applied to Laku Onfirio, hold giod f .ir 
 the other kko.-. Their topography strength.. 
 ens tha proof tha: their o. igm cannot ba 
 aooounted for by glacittrn, boCiUSH wo find Uie 
 islands at tho we.-.{eru end of Lii.,o E>io, or 
 norttieruend of Like liurju, pjlu-hed 'and 
 Btriated. All tho facta appear to pniut to ouo 
 seriBsof oau<es, uaiuiiy, fio lake b,i-j;ns are 
 vaiieys oi suoanriri mid fliivii-la erosion 
 although their outlets t j tho e-aa havo not 
 been demonstrated. 
 
 AGE OF THE RIVER VALLEYS. 
 
 The period of the river valleys just de- 
 
 scribed dates far baok in peolopioBl lime. 
 If the explanations brought forward be wholly 
 correct, thin the dato of tho conimt ncemenl 
 of the valKya hhould bo plHC(d after the closo 
 of the Palatozoic Titnc, as tho villoy of Sus- 
 qufhaiina, and of some of tho ancient riv» rs 
 cnt.-rinu' the inlvo baHina fire ri"tlv <x'<avated 
 out of csrbon itrouH rock°. which h'.d I'een 
 previously eevated. This wonl,] agrfe with 
 ifio older pi-rtions of tlio IvIiPMPi^ippi river. 
 How, vtr, thr. ^rnit liver a;:o did not, culmi-' 
 nate until Mi !dlo S uiium Timop. as shown 
 by the tribntaiies of ihe ancient MiaBia.'iippi. 
 
 ORIGIN OF TUR hXK'^.S THEMSHLVES. 
 
 In the ioi ag. s tho outlets of the valleys of 
 the ^rreit lakfs wero cloHod by drift, npparent- 
 l.v ar'gi.stcd by oBciildtion 1 of tho eartb's crust 
 thuH producing the lakes. Whether the fillings 
 of tho valleyn were produced by plaoier action 
 by tho a-ency of ic.-b. rg-., o.b'v that of float- 
 uig pun ice, a natural explanation miaht be 
 givea. but as this depends upon unsettled 
 glacial geoloi.,y, J win not hero delay to enter 
 into the dit-cusHion. However, there pppears 
 to bo every evi.ience of an ii.rergUcial epoch, 
 whea thu grmter portion of the present Dun- 
 das valley, the Nia^-ara river by the old buried 
 chifunei of St. David's, atul many othi>r val- 
 leys, everywhere in the lake region were 
 either re-exaavated in tho drift or oriijinally 
 opened, and that the second closing or filling 
 of the.-e valioys whs not accomplished 
 torougli a-y glacier action, but principally 
 througa the atjeacy of pan ice and currents. 
 
 0aCILL.\TIOMS OP THR cr.NTINEyT IN THE LIKE 
 REGION. 
 
 Until lately oiy investigations b3arin» on 
 the origin of the great lakes have been mainly 
 based on she hypothecs that the closing of the 
 baHins wa.H not ocerisionnd by the elevations 
 ol tho lako murgms by means of the local 
 elev^tiou of th) exrth's ciust. This hypolh- 
 o.-'is then necejfitaus tho existence of the 
 buried volleys being outlets of tho lake basins, 
 which if tuoiroontiuued drifts were excavated 
 would rest on tiij ;. ri«l,%ci>il rlrainige. My 
 r.?ceut observations in New York and elso- 
 whero hava lailod to obtain any proofs of the 
 above suppisition. 
 
 Outf<iMe th : jvjjion of the lakes in the Red 
 liivtr V.illoy tiiere are kuowa rt least two 
 deep bare holes far apart, where th-i drift 
 extends to a leval heloA- that of L iho Winni- 
 peg; anrl m.Jicitfs thtttif ttif. drift was rc~ 
 moved from thft lied Minnesota ■ Valley that 
 the draiua,3eotsomoof the great lakes and 
 rivers of the Oana iian N )r£hwest Territories 
 wouM flow to tho M-xioan Gulf (as first 
 pointed out by General Warren) without the 
 necessity of a local change of level. This 
 
AN ANCIENT RIVER. 
 
 fact PxtPTided to thelskflrpRionHstrenRthpned 
 my opiniou a>* in the 0(>»refifnmH of ih- above 
 h%potbi'Hin. Wliilnt the fliiv<ntio ori^'in of 
 LnkH Oiitiirio is aiiparpiit, yt-t tlm fuilnre of 
 d^^lotl»'trntir)^,' a drift file I outlet f.)r the 
 basin (wl;ich ik .10(1 (ett bt-low ibe level of 
 the «e>i), bftH fMroft niP priivifioTinlly to ao- 
 cppt tbf Ii\p(.ttichi8 til. t ihf« bH^iIl WMH purily 
 oliupd by oi-cilliiii.>iisof »1ip re)..i(,n n« strcpiiily 
 8Pt foitli in m nhle leiter from Mr. G. K. 
 Gilbert As iin cvifciP e of kio il ofollbiti.'a 
 Mr. Gilh-rt lift-* point, il niu tbo Ircndqnot 
 Bay near R(,chp>tt'r wjg excuvHted to tha 
 deptb of tijcre thim 7(t feet, imd t«o itji!«8 
 wide, b> HtrpMHiH of poctfjliirml or inttr/^'lHcial 
 dHte and pubc qnpntly subrnpii^. d to tlia 
 above rieptli. Fiom tlii-< liit< conclusion m 
 th«t at tbft time of .xnav.ition of this dord- 
 vhIIov, tbp reiitive ftllituii'of the loonlity a-id 
 thn rock Hill over which L ikK Onttirio dig- 
 oharKPH c'ifT'red from thia present sriituH by 
 moro than 70 (n^i, Corn>-p miiinK perfectly 
 with Trondf qnot Bay }» Butlini,"on Bay at 
 Hamilton with a depth of 7tt feei, with a 
 cloHed befell ttcro«B its m.iuth. Prom this 
 and other l<icil feiiiin-H, the Burffice 
 geolopy of tho Duudaa VuUey (of 
 whi-jli a ktpre a-rio'int of information 
 bafl bf'cn collected, but not yet workrtiu'it) 
 would inHiuito a Rr nlf!r elevation, to thu ex- 
 tent of more 111 in 7.=? fe^t at tha L.-ad iUiiu ut 
 tb« p.'flsent outlet of tue lakeH. 
 
 Lh* u-" oin-ider f,)r n m )aient the phyoioal 
 effeot that would bo proJiioiil upon trj« Mtrati 
 fiu'lon by Mi,bsid.^Ui!e of ihn north. daH:Hra 
 portion of Lik" itirio nod the Uiiper Sc 
 L^wrenne. Th>^ dip of th . r leka at the wed 
 tern end of Lake Oafario is about 23 feat iu 
 a milo, w^st.vard or 8)Ufh. 
 
 At the e'literii end of tho lftk«, I bsliuve, ic 
 is Botnewhai jrHiter, Th'* dumper p )riijus of 
 the laku a-o in jre thtn 40 milrts (l\)'u its 
 present outlet. Any loci di'prr-dsi.)n gr^idu- 
 ally extenlias uorihst.-tivaid froa tu^) damp- 
 est suTOtniliiif^s of ihe like to ov-u the 
 extent of 25 fent in thu mile, would lower the 
 outlet bv the S ;. rj^wronce to aa exu-nt f-tr 
 grpiiUr t'la > -voiili b) sulfij ecs to drain the 
 lakes, provided this o^nit^e took pi 'cat a 
 time of hiRh ojatineatal elevi'ion, tum prj. 
 duoioRabroil depreised va'ley VVn kao.v 
 that the valley of she lovnr S:. La vreaoa ia 
 submerged to tha depih of at leisC nearly 
 1 200 feet. 
 
 Th'j rockv biunlarifis of tha rcsjioi) cou'd 
 Bo^roely mow than iniieito thu chijni^e of 
 level, a3 the dip ut she rocks wouid paa from 
 
 the condition of 25 feet in the mile or leei to 
 BlmoMt Hb-olute h irizontality. and we hare' 
 no measure (,f c )tiipiriHoa. If, however, tha 
 elev,ttiou9toi)k phc! to the northward lo a 
 Rreater extent than to the southward, such 
 as nii«hi lie ooaaMioned by a change of the 
 OKnier of uravitv af the earth, then the rPKion 
 t ) tiie Hou'hvvurd of tho lakon might be re- 
 lative. y HulHoiontly lowere.i as to permit the 
 drainage to pa.sn out by either the Mo~ 
 hawk or Seneivi Lake v-tlleys which, evident- 
 l.v. during som.- portions of the sea age, dis- 
 charged watoiB from the expanded basin of 
 the lake 
 
 The local oncillations would also greatly 
 aid in the exp anation of tho closing of the 
 ourl..f,H of the Uppor Lakes wliica would be 
 thein.st naiif.4i!iory if we could establish 
 th4 greater norsheru elevition of the lakes 
 overtlio8outh.ru. With these remarks I 
 will plo<ie. 
 
 The pr"B.->nt paper is exceedingly unsatis- 
 faotory, owin-; to the fragmentary oharaoter 
 of the fa(?ts that have oeen obnerved, and 
 even only a pjrtiun of thorn have been worked 
 out. 
 
 A word of tribute must be paid to those 
 Whose works hiv.ipived the wiy to the 
 present ntn.iy. General Warren, in his dis- 
 co-.', ry of the form r great ohau/es of the 
 d,-ai'ia;,'e of the Winnipe!< btain whioii ooa- 
 certiB so lai;^o a porti oa of thj continent, 
 should f.urly be plaoed as the father of Fm- 
 viiitiie Geoioyy. 
 
 Th.) reo lids c^Ilocted by and ua it-r the 
 suiervisiou of thd Direotor.s of tho Geol gioal 
 Surveys of O-iio and Pennsy, .anii -P/ofes- 
 Bor.-^ Newberry and Lesl.jv. and thos-i of Dr. 
 Swrry -luat hav, b-en of the grjatest value 
 m working out this aubj-jyt. 
 
 To Mr. Crod balong.s particular praise for 
 workiu^' «)ut tha d^lii-ult prooKm of the 
 Uppr Allei<hanvirj;o Likii Erie, and as his 
 work, th Uih the m. diim of t^ e distinguished 
 Dirnct.r of tho Peiusylvauia survey led me 
 to ex'.end my s ul es b y^ni the wasteru ex- 
 tremity of Lvko Oitano iml the Dundaa 
 ViUoy, HO. I hop-3, that this frai^mentary 
 paper rn ly atisia: in giving prommenci to 
 the dllfi suit 8U J'Ct of Fluv: itilo Gdology, 
 
 and irrnot wlia-- iTiors of obsoi vatioa and 
 dnluutiou whiLihooouri.-i thj pumoejing work 
 of a de.iartrn-^ut of Svv.iiiaa now almost ua. 
 rol en, and vet one more than any otLer, 
 tho mh m iditiel by o'.hera. explains tho sur- 
 faoe featiutes of the lakd regijus of thw «on- 
 tmeut.