ain Williams's surveys for a ship canal-Former extent of Lake Michigan-Its outlet i

nto the genial light of the sun. And Professor Lyell has recourse to the vast stellar spaces for a standard by which to estimate "the interval of time which divides the human epoch from the origin of the coralline limestone over which the Niagara is precipitated at the

e expository of the day's work. One of the places thus visited was Niagara, and it was the writer's good-fortune to be able to listen to the instructive lecture which followed the examination. Professor Agassiz concurs with other geologists in the opinion that the Falls were once at Lewiston, and one of the most interesting

t of Lake Erie, as shown by the surveys of the Erie Canal, is five hundred and sixty-eight feet, the difference of level between the two being ten feet. The fall or descent in the Niagara River from Lake Erie to Gill Creek, a few rods above the site of old Fort Schlosser, is twenty feet. Hence we learn that the surface of the water in Lake Michiga

ugh. The second route, commencing at the same point with the first,-the old Schlosser Storehouse, just above Gill Creek,-was run up the valley of the creek, through the ridge above Lewiston, at a slight depression in the general line of the hill, and thence to Lake Ontario by two different routes. The highest point in the ridge was found to be sixty feet above the surface of the water in the river at the starting point. Here, then, is found the requisite barrier-a

barrier on a good map. From old Fort Grey it stretches eastward a short distance past Batavia, and thence turns to the south through Wyoming into Cattaraugus County. In the latter county it forms the summit level of the Genesee Valley Canal. This summit is a swamp sixteen hundred

line to Lewiston he found its elevation above the river, as has been stated, to be sixty feet. By the Cayuga Creek line to Pekin it was

which bounds the westerly side of the valley of the Chippewa Cree

leys of the Chippewa, Cayuga, Tonawanda, and Buffalo creeks were also submerged. The site of Buffalo was

ilroad shows that the surface of Lake Michigan is three hundred feet above the line of low water in the Ohio River at Cairo, where it joins the Mississippi. It also shows that the low-water line of the Kankakee, where the railroad crosses it, is eleven feet above the surface of the lake. This river, which forms the north-eastern branch of the Illinois, rises in the State of Indiana, near South Bend, two miles from the St. Joseph. From its

, on the occurrence of a strong north wind during the spring floods, to cross with boats from this branch of the East Calumick into the Kankakee Pond through this co

t Surveyor-in-Chief of the Boundary Commission, that when the party was at Mackinaw, in the spring of 1820, Mr. Ramsey Crooks, the adventurous and enterprising agent of John Jacob Astor, came up to that place from Joliet on the Illinois in one of the big canoes so generally used at that day for navigating the lakes, and that Mr. Crooks informed them that he crossed from the Des Plaines into Lake Michigan without taking his canoe out of the water. The deep cut in the Illinois and Michigan Canal, recently excavated by the city of Chicago in order to improve its sewer drainage, is quite uniform at its upper surface, and is

great north cove of the Kankakee Pond. When we consider the immense drainage which must have been discharged through these channels into the valley of the Illinois, we can well understand the gigantic proportions of that

er. At the former point the hard, compact clay had in it but a slight mixture of gray loam and sand. At the latter point, fine gravel was plentifully mingled with this loam. This latter mass, being quite porous, would rapidly become saturated with water, and its component parts be easily separated. The declivity of the high, hard, clay bank, down

tes were more easily displaced and broken up. The depression marked in the sixth mile of the profile referred to was evidently cut out by the waters of Fish Creek, after the barrier had been removed, since the land near the head-waters of this stream is higher than at t

estructive effect, their higher banks. One of these gales is mentioned in another place. It came from about two points north of west, and, as noted, raised the water six feet on the rapids above the Falls. In the narr

s. By them, undoubtedly, was made the first breach over its top, thus commencing that slow but sure

half miles certainly, and probably five, in width. How to break through it is the problem to be solved

ing the lapse of ages, excavated a channel for the waters of the Niagara. The gradual upward slope of the rock and the thick upper drift broke the force of the huge waves that were occasionally dashed upon them. Their position could not have been more favorable to resist attack. It was a Malakoff of earth on a

carp was then fatally attacked, and after a time its perpendicular face was laid bare. Thenceforth the elements had the top and one end of the rocky mass to work on, and they worked at a tremendous advantage. The breaking up and disintegration of the rock went on. It was gr

gradually excavate its channel to Lake Ontario, and it is not probab