68 



This portion of the American Continent, which, during the earlier 

 paleozoic period had alternately been submerged and elevated, remained 

 in this latter state a long period of time, during which denuding 

 agencies, such as atmospheric erosion, rain and other solvents earned 

 away a .reat deal of material. This is a lapse of time, which, m other 

 parts of"canada and elsewhere, is marked by a regular ascending series 

 of newer formations deposited, for the most part, beneath the level of the 

 then existing oceans, a period embracing within itself the whole of the 

 Silurian and Devonian systems, together with the Carboniferous age or 

 the coal measures. The Palaeozoic Era thus ended Mesozoic times came 

 in and the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous systems followed, overly- 

 ina which all the Laramie and Tertiaries were laid, aU of which are 

 entirely absent in our district marking a great unconformity between 

 the Glacial deposits and the Hudson River rocks about Ottawa. 



The Glacial Epoch or the Great Ice Age, then, is the first of the 

 Beries of Post Tertiary times, with which we have to deal, as it rests 

 immediately upon, though with discordance of stratification (if that term 

 may be employed here), and overlies the Cambro-Silurian and older for- 

 mations in this district. Just previous to this period of glaciation, and 

 whilst it lasted, there must have taken place a great elevation in this 

 part of the North American continent, so that an extreme Alpine or 

 Arctic climate was the natural result. Nor was this part of America 

 the only one which enjoyed this particular state of affairs, but 

 throughout the greater portion of North America as far west as the 

 Great Missouri Coteau, in Europe, and in other continents, evidence of 

 extreme cold, the result of great elevation, has been ascertained beyond 

 doubt. Prof. Favre, of Geneva, whose admirable researches in Alpine 

 geology have madejiim so famous the world over, in the " Resume " of 

 his " Geological Researches in Savoie and the neighbourhood of Mt. 

 Blanc," points out clearly what was the origin of the glacial epoch 

 in that part of Europe. "The amount of moisture or humidity," he 

 says, " with which the atmosphere of Europe was filled on account of 

 the elevation of land subsequent to the deposition of the tertiary de- 

 posits the cooling effect of the neighbouring mountains, then more 

 elevated than now-a-days together with many other causes, led to a 

 reduction in the tempei-ature of the atmosphere resulting in an abundant 



