wa ee ee 
R. Bakewell on the Falls of Niagara. 91 
and asked him if there was any indication of a bed of a river in 
the neighborhood of the Falls. Mr. P. informed me that there is 
the appearance of a former bed of a river back of the village. This 
information enables me with more confidence to trace out by the 
dotted lines, where it ran. He also informed me that a slight 
inclination of the bed of the river west of Goat Island had re- 
tarded the encroachments made by the current, and that he had 
thrown out breakwaters for further protection. He observed 
that the principal changes going on were on the Canada side, and 
he agreed with me in thinking that the waters were concentratin 
more into the centre of the Horse-shoe Fall. The falls instead of 
facing the north, as at present, will, as the waters gradually retire 
from the Canada side, make a right angle with the river and face 
towards the northwest, and contract their dimensions within an- 
other narrow gorge. It is a curious fact which I noticed along the 
course of the ravine that there are many of these contractions and 
expansions. There are two from the Falls to the»Suspension 
midge, and there are several from the whirlpool to Lewiston. _ 
. When the Canada Fall has turned the angle which I think 
118 now making, the breadth of the river will then be greatl 
Teduced in width, increasing its velocity and depth, causing in all 
probability the waters of the American Fall to be drawn off, leav- 
ing the Canada Falls once more to toil alone. , 
I was further informed by Mr. P. that the American Fall has 
been protected from erosion by the rocks which are exposed and 
Piled up atits base. I would in connection with this, again 
vert to M. Desor’s calculation as to the retrogression of the 
American Fall, to show that if the same method be adopted with 
the Canada Fall, we shall have a result very near to the state- 
na bes Mr. Forsyth before alluded to, —_ pies the Falls had 
Teceded forty yards in 40 years. If a line wn across 
Canada Fall from Table Rey to Goat Island touching the water 
On each side, and a erpendicular line to the extrem of the 
Indentation, as found in Prof, Hall’s fete ae the Falls of 
time he mad, wing. Prof. Hall has justly remarked that, 
, mobaaen rare landmarks, we are cone to 
fave the rate of recession unsettled for the present. The ac- 
Companying trigonometrical map of the Falls will furnish the 
means of doing this, by the monuments which have been estab- 
