Nov. 4. 1881.] -^i [Newberry. 



PROCEEDINGS 



OP THE 



AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, 



HELD AT PHILADELPHIA. 



Vol. XX. JANUARY to JUNE, 1882. No. 111. 



On the Origin and Drainage of the Basins of the Great Lakes. By J. S. 

 Newberry. 



{Read before the American Philosophical Society, November 4, ISSl.) 



Haviug lived for half my life on the shores of Lake Erie, and beginning 

 my geological studies there at an early age, the mode of formation of this 

 water basin naturally became a subject of observation and thought with 

 me. Subsequently, I for ten years owned a country place on one of the 

 islands near the west end of the lake, and during the summer residence of 

 my family there I had a more satisfactory opportunity for the study of the 

 structure of these islands than can be enjoyed by any one now, since some 

 of the most striking cliffs and rock surfaces have been quarried away or 

 covered with buildings. 



The interest which I acquired in the subject also led me to visit and ex- 

 amine with some care the whole chain of lakes, and to follow this line of 

 drainage from Duluth, Lake Superior, to its present outlet at the mouth of 

 the St. Lawrence, and its ancient one at New York. 



The results of the observations thus made were communicated to the 

 public in "Notes on the Surface Geology of the Basin of the Great Lakes " 

 (Boston Natural Historical Society, 1862) ; " Geological Survey of Ohio, 

 Report of Progress for 1869 ;" " The Surface Geology of the Basin of the 

 Great Lakes and tJie Valley of the Mississippi" (Lyceum of Natural His- 

 torical Society, New York, 1869) ; "The Surface Geology of Ohio" (Re- 

 port of Geological Survey of Ohio, Vol. ii, 1874) ; " The Geological His- 

 tory of New York Island and Harbor" (Popular Science Monthly, 1878). 



In the progress of these investigations, I discovered what had not before 

 attracted attention, that (1), at one time the eastern and middle portions 

 of the continent stood considerably higher above the ocean than at the 

 present time ; (2), that an extensive system of drainage lines which once 

 traversed the continent had been subsequently more or less filled up and 

 obliterated, generally by the drift of the Ice period ; (3), that our modern 

 rivers had often deserted their ancient valleys altogether, and flowed some- 



RPOr. AMRR. PHII-OS. SOC. XX. 111. L. PRINTED MARCH 3, 1882. 



