Mbservations on the south side of Ontario Valley. 213 
ART. 2.— Observations on the Geological Features of the 
South Side of the Ontario Valley, in a letter to F. Ro- 
meyn Beck, M. D. By James Gepprs, Esq. Civil 
Engineer. . 
[Read before the Albany Institute, February 15, 1826.] 
' ALBANY, Feb. Ist, 1826. 
Dear Sir, 
_ I had heard from geologists so much about the forma- 
tion of every valley, by the action of waters flowing in vast 
torrents in times long past, that I was much pleased to find in 
the Geological and Agricultural survey of the district ad- 
joining the Erie Canal, the following admission :—‘* We 
“ are compelled to admit that hills, and valleys were formed 
“ first, and that afterwards, water began to descend the in- 
“* clining sides of the hills and to collect, or march onward 
* through the vallies.” Page 153. 
n the year 1810, from examinations of the country at, 
and east of the Niagara Falls, I was led to doubt the rea- 
sonableness of the conjecture, that had been so often hazard- 
ed; that the cataract of Niagara had in tome travelled from 
near Lewiston to its present site. 
Lake Erie is held to its present level by the stratum called 
Black Rock, a lime rock in which flint* abounds, the end- 
ings of which can be traced west and east to a great extent- 
North of, and below the termination of the stratum, the 
Chippewa runs to the east and the Tonawanta to the west, 
both streams emptying into Niagara between Black Rock 
rapid and the Niagara Falls. These streams are deep for 
oc 
nearly. At the north of Navy Island, the water is from 40 
to 50 feet deep, and at the place where the Welland € anal 
is pr o leave the Chippewa the depth is 40 feet, 
which shews the stratum from which the great sere is 
precipitated, dipping rapidly to the south, giving de to 
this piece of water, as the stratum at Black Rock dips south- 
The vast bed of clay (as Professor Eaton would call it,) 
im. which these deep — flow, is of considerable depth, 
and great extent, particularly eastward. It may be consid- 
ered as beginning on the Genessee mouth of 
Black creek, and following up the valley of that sluggish 
* Chert or horastone I=EgGei@ 0 
