i82 The Ottawa Naturalist. [January 



had ceased. All the first reports were, of course, of a rather 

 va^ue and contradictory character, but ignorance of the details 

 of the situation did not prevent the spreading of greatly exag- 

 gerated statements, not only in regard to the extent of the damage 

 inflicted, but also as to the consequences that were sure to follow. 

 It was greatly feared, and firmly believed by many, that the re- 

 lease of the dammed-up waters threatened the safety not only of 

 all the residents in the Li^vre valley below the slide, but also of 

 the town of Buckingham. The urgent necessity for more accurate 

 and detailed information was fully appreciated by Dr. Whiteaves, 

 who, in Dr. Bell's absence, was acting as Director of the Geo- 

 logical Survey. Dr. R. W. Ells, who had previously examined 

 and reported upon the geology of the district in which the slide 

 had occurred, was given charge of the examination, while Mr, 

 LeRoy and the writer accompanied him, to make any necessary 

 surveys and secure such photographs as would fully illustrate the 

 occurrence. The Summary Report of the Geological Survey 

 Department for 1903 contained Dr. Ells' official account of the 

 landslide, accompanied by a small plan showing the position and 

 extent of the area aff'ected. This map, on a scale of twelve chains 

 to one inch, was prepared by Joseph Keele from surveys made by 

 James White, O. E. LeRoy and the writer. 



Like the proverbial policeman, the Government geologists 

 were early on the sctne after the catastrophe, leaving Ottawa by 

 the evening train of Monday, October 12th, for Buckingham. 

 During the journey, all sorts of rumors were afloat as to the danger 

 threatening the mills, and even the town of Buckingham itself, by 

 the backing-up of the waters caused by the filling up of the chan- 

 nel of the river by the debris from the landslide. On our arrival 

 at Buckingharn, however, we were reassured by the report that 

 the water had surmounted these clay barriers, about four o'clock 

 that afternoon, and was flowing over this uneven surface of ac- 

 cuinulated material, by a series of small channels, which would cer- 

 tainly deepen during the night. We, therefore, retired to rest at the 

 hotel, with a sense of tolerable security, feeling that the crisis had 

 passed. The morning broke bright and clear and we made an 

 early start for the scene, driving up the road on the west side of 



