34 Whirlpool and Rapids below the Falls of Niagara. 1 



into the whirlpool, I was led to think that in all probability, there 



a time when the cataract thundered through this channel, 



was 



now nearly filled with drift, and its waters emptied into the lake 

 or sea, through the opening at St. David's. That this assertion 



may not appear altogether visionary, I would state that it is an 

 ascertained fact, that this ancient valley extends from the whirl- 

 pool to St. David's, about six miles from Queenston, as was first 

 suggested by Mr. Hall to Mr. Lyell, when the latter having called 

 Mr. Hall's attention to this bed of drift at the whirlpool. " As- 

 cending," says Mr. Lyell, u the steep bank formed of these ma- 

 terials, we soon reach the general level of the table land and pass 

 over it for two miles before we begin to enter the depression, 

 which deepening gradually, carries us down to St. David's. This 



valley 



the boulder formation, and we 



may inter that the latter maintains its tun deptn between ot. Jja- 

 vid'sand the whirlpool, from sections obtained in sinking a well in 

 the intervening township of Stamford, where a great thickness 

 of drift was passed through."* 



It is perhaps worthy of remark that the direction of this valley 

 from the falls to St. David's, does not materially differ from a 

 straight line. The width of this valley, at the whirlpool, (FG, 



Mr. Lvell ^ives at 



about one hundred and seventy yards. Now this width, whether 

 more or less than one hundred and seventy yards, agrees so nearly 

 with the width of the ravine at the entrance into the whirlpool. 

 IB, that it is difficult to resist the conclusion that they had both 

 one origin, but at periods of time immeasurably remote from each 

 other. The continuous appearance now presented is accidental. 

 The origin of this valley and its termination at the whirlpool may, 

 I think, be explained on the supposition that ages anterior to the 

 commencement of the ravine at Queenston, this valley or chan- 

 nel was hewn out by the floods which drained the inland lakes or 

 sea. The width of the valley at St. David's, which is about two 

 miles, militates nothing against the assumption that the waters 

 once rushed over the precipice at St. David's. It is reasonable to 

 infer that its volume was immeasurably greater than at present, 

 and that in process of time the valley would contract, as the 

 waters were concentrated and were brought to act with greater 

 energy on a given point on the various strata of hard and soft 

 rocks ; this increased erosive action of the waters would go on 

 until the cataract would finally assume a wall-like appearance 

 as is now seen at the falls. This process appears to have gone 

 on from the time when the river first fell over the precipice at 

 dueenston, and thus the falls have continued to advance on their 

 retrograde journey south. This I think is very evident from what 











Ly ell's America, Vol. ii. 



