Jlesozoic and Gaaiozoic Geology and Palceontology. 309 



bowlders derived from the Huronian rocks that had been moved from 

 their source and transported southerly. In the valleys of the Wahna- 

 pitae and French rivers, large bowlders of conglomerate rest on the 

 contorted gneiss at various elevations above the mark of the greatest 

 floods, the highest probabl}" over 100 feet. On the Sturgeon and Mas- 

 kanongi rivers, and on Lake Wahnapitaepiug, the course of the grooves 

 and scratches is S. 27° W., with scarcel}' au}^ deviation, but farther 

 west they seem to alter their course to a more westerly direction, and 

 on Round lake they bear S. 41° W.; while at the long lake, near the 

 outlet of the White-fish river, their direction is S. 49° W. The great 

 deposits of silicious sand, which are spread over the upper valley of 

 the Wahnapitae, above Wahnapitaeping lake, and also the sand in the 

 valley of the Sturgeon river, are probably chiefly derived from the 

 ruins of the Huronian rocks. Lake Huron is 578 feet above the sea; 

 Lake Wahnapitaeping, 938 feet ; Round lake, 775 feet ; Sturgeon 

 river, at the junction of the Maskanongi, 809 feet; and Maskanon- 

 giwagaming lake, on the Maskanongi, 862 feet. 



In 1859, he described* the drift north of Lake Huron, between the 

 valley of the Thessalon river and the lake coast south of it, and be- 

 tween the valleys of the Thessalon and the Mississagui. A deposit 

 of clay usually of a brownish drab color is spread over a large portion 

 of the region, particularly in the hollows and valleys, and is frequent- 

 ly exposed on the banks of the streams, distinctly stratified, and in 

 considerable thickness. The clay is overlaid with sand which extends 

 far and wide over the highest table lands, and a great part of the 

 country generally. The clay deposits of the Mississagui and Little 

 White rivers, do not appear to attain a height of much more than 160 

 feet over Lake Huron. Above the Grand Portage at 154 feet above the 

 lake, the clay is replaced by a great accumulation of sand and gravel, 

 the gravel becoming coarser and more prevalent as we ascend the river. 

 On the banks and flats above Salter's base line, 252 feet above the 

 lake, the shingle consists of rounded masses almost all of S3'enifce, the 

 smallest of which is rarel}' under the size of a man's fist, and the 

 average as large as a twelve pound canon ball. Many of the masses 

 are much larger, and in addition there are a great number of huge 

 bowlders. 



Grooves and scratches on the sides of the lakes, and in the valleys, 

 have the same general bearing of the valleys, and follow the meander- 

 ings of the lake depressions. Instances are as follows: On the island 



* Geo. Sur. of Canada. 



