262 On the Geography and Geology 



To the foregoing details I beg to add a few observations : — 

 Lake Superior abounds in proofs that its waters have been in 

 vastly greater quantities than at present : and, it may be presumed, 

 that its subsidence has been effected, not by slow drainage, but by 

 the repeated destruction of its barrier. That lakes Michigan, 

 Huron, and Superior, have been one body of water, is rendered 

 certain, among other stronger considerations (which having been 

 urged before, I shall not now state) by their comparatively low 

 dividing ridge, and by the existence in Batchewine Bay (L. S.) of 

 numerous rolled masses which are in situ in the N.W. parts of 

 Lake Huron ; as the jasper puddingstone, near the head of St. 

 Josephs (L. H.) ; the greenstone puddingstone of Pelletau's Chan- 

 nel (L. H.); and the crystalline quartz Rock of La Cloche (L. H.). 

 This opinion is strengthened by the very large bowlders of the 

 Huggewong granite, and the greenstone of Michipicoton, strewn, 

 in company with rocks of Lake Huron, over the Portage at the 

 Falls of St. Mary. Their original situation is, at least, 100 miles 

 north from where they are found at present. 



In aid of the supposition that Lakes Huron and Superior (in- 

 cluding Michigan necessarily) have been at a much higher level 

 than they are at this day ; the beds of sand and clay in their 

 islands and on their main may be instanced; — in both cases the 

 work of the lakes themselves, united or distinct. While on their 

 north shores these are small ; on their south shores they are high 

 and very extensive. But the north coast of Lake Superior is not 

 in the uniform and extreme state of nakedness, represented by 

 former travellers. It presents occasional tracts of sand, and even 

 of clay, of some magnitude ; which, however, do not always pro- 

 duce fertility. I refer to large gravelly beds (170 feet high) about 

 the Black River (north shore), those of sand and clay, still higher, 

 perhaps, of the River Peek, and the terraces of the east of Otter's 

 Head, Michipicoton, Huggewong, Sfc. The south side of the 

 height of land between Lake Superior and Hudson's Bay is covered 

 here and there, as on the Grand Portage, Partridge and Outard 

 Portages of the old route to the Lake of the Woods, with red 

 viscous clay (sometimes coloured brown by iron), and consequently 



