thence down the Wabash to the Ohio. That there was an ancient west- 
ward drainage along the East White river is shown by the presence of 
‘Tertiary gravel near Shoals, Indiana, that was brought from the east. But 
the East White has a smaller channel than the neighboring part of the 
Ohio, and no channel has been discovered near Madison to connect the 
Obio with the Mascatatuck Valley. It, therefore, seems a less favorable 
eourse than that down the Ohio” (65: 112). 
Both Tight and Leverett agree in placing the head of the preglacial 
lower Ohio near Madison, Indiana, thus making it a very humble stream 
compared with the conditions of today. 
THE PREGLACIAL DRAINAGE OF THE BASINS OF THE UPPER 
AND MIDDLE OHIO. 
Much work has been done in this basin, and much has been written 
about it, and maps of local areas have been made to cover most of the 
State, but no general map has ever been compiled. The bibliography, as is 
apparent, contains a great many excellent references to this region. Ley- 
erett (65) and Tight (109) give the most complete discussion of the sub- 
ject, and several other geologists have carefully discussed limited areas of 
the basin; and in view of the fact that so much has been written on the 
subject only a few necessary points will be given here. 
The Ohio river is remarkable in many respects, for it presents much 
variety in width, depth and other characteristics. The valley varies in 
width from six miles, where the walls are low and gentle, to one mile, 
where steep bluffs enclose it, and its depth ranges from less than 100 
feet to 800 feet. Its bed presents a succession of riffles where its channel 
runs over rock and shoals where the bed is upon a filling often 75 feet 
deep. The number of narrow places where the bluffs are steep is remark- 
ably Jarge, as is shown on the maps (Pls. IV, V) by the term “col” and 
at such places the valley is young. Between the cols the present valley is 
frequently crossed by old, wide valleys that extend for miles on either 
side. Many of the tributaries, especially below Portsmouth, enter in oppo- 
site directions to their general course and many that rise close to the 
main river, flow around for miles before entering, a fact indicating the 
recent origin of the Ohio (109: 34). Much of the same may be said of 
many of the tributaries, such as the Muskingum, Hocking, and the Alle- 
gheny, for they are, too, “things of shreds and patches,” having been pra- 
duced by the union of portions of yarious stream systems, 
