50 



The " High Water Portage" rocks are the hardest, Beckett's Chenal 

 next, then the Lost Chenal, aiid lastly the Allumette. 



After examining these different channels, their positions, their 

 volnmes of water and the whole basiu, we find that the volumes of 

 water vary in inverse order, beginning with the Allumette, the lai'gest ; 

 which means that the oldest channel has least water (it has none now), 

 v/hile over the soft bed of the youngest the bulk of the Ottawa 

 rushes with a constantly increasing effect. 



My attention was attracted to 4;he " High Water Portage " by the 

 bare and dry water-eaten rocks. The channel is as easily traced as if 

 carrying water. The rocks are extremely hard. Beckett's Chenal 

 shows a softening in its bed, but the Lost Chenal is more marked in 

 this respect : clayey sandstone beginning to show itself. But when 

 the Allumette bed is examined the conclusion must be that this chan- 

 nel is destined to carry all the water of the Ottawa alone. Then there 

 will be three old ami dry channels. This is an inevitable result unless 

 the present soft Allumette channel bad is thinly built upon a hard and 

 more enduring foundation. By tliis particular comparison and con- 

 clusion we are now prepared to rise to a higher plane of study. In 

 such a system of scattering mountains as the Laurentians there are and 

 have been many rivers. These rivers have had many mountain 

 barriers to overcome. They have passed over the lower parts, and cut 

 their way through the softer ridges. At one time in the past a river 

 has rushed wildly along through a rugged and adamantine channel. 

 Now in the later ages of the world the same river lashes itself into fury 

 as it passes through a channel 100 feet below. 



Some beautiful and clearly outlined old channels of the Ottawa 

 are easily seen not far below Aylmer. 



The Paquette's "Rapids at the head of the Coulonge Lake ai-e com- 

 posed of harder rock than the bed of the Allumette. The result will 

 be that the LTpper and Lower Allumette lakes will eventually form one 

 navigable stretch, limited at the western extremity by the " Narrows," 

 and at the eastern by the Paquette's. 



At one time the ridges back from Westmeath connected svilh the 

 ranges on the Quebec fcide of the river. Over these ridges the mighty 

 Ottawa Eiver Lake hurled itself into a vast abvss of seething waters at 



