1900-1.] On the Ancient Drainage at Niagara Falls. 9 



depression of the rock level. The latter, he thinks, remains nearly 

 constant. 



In the St. David's valley below the escarpment, are found several 

 flowing wells. Above the escarpment, the surface drainage is either 

 towards the Whirlpool or Thorold. It is possible these flowing wells 

 are caused by the water of the Niagara soaking through the porous 

 soil of the drift. 



The course of the channel below the escarpment is harder to trace 

 accurately, but by ascertaining from the farmers the facts in regard to 

 their wells, some very interesting information was obtained, throwing a 

 good deal of light on the subject. 



Mr. Warder, whose opinion with regard to rock levels above the 

 escarpment has been stated already, says that in St. David's village 

 the rock is generally sixty or seventy feet below the level of the 

 surface. On the road to St. Catharines, within a mile of the 

 village, wells are found dug in the rock, which is, relatively, close 

 to the surface. 



On Lot 54, north of Usher's cement works, Mr. Muir has a good 

 well. In digging it he struck red sandstone rock about twenty feet 

 from the surface. Between Mr. Muir's farm and the lake, as far as 

 Virgil, good springs are very scarce, and those who dig wells do not 

 strike rock. On Lot 58, a well was dug fifty-three feet without striking 

 rock. On Lot 33 they dug thirty-five feet, then bored fifty feet without 

 striking rock. Mr. Harris, west of Lot 61, found rock at one hundred 

 feet below the surface. The northern boundary of this channel seems 

 much more indefinite than the southern one. 



Where this channel crosses the Niagara river, is clearly visible on 

 both sides of the river from the deck of the Toronto steamers. Near 

 Queenston the river bank is formed of red shale. At a projecting point 

 about three miles below Queenston, the shale changes to clay, and the 

 bank is formed of clay from here to a place near the middle of Paradise 

 Grove, where shale of the same kind as that at Queenston again forms 

 the bank. 



The space between these points, about three miles, was at one time 

 filled with shale of the same kind as that at Queenston and Niagara. 

 This was washed out by the ancient river, and during the glacial period, 



