NORTHWEST SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 363 
to one hundred and ninety-two feet high, and from one to six feet in diameter. 
At other points, where the underlying rock dips east-southeast 15° to 19°, the 
columns incline toward the east at a corresponding angle. It is almost entirely 
__ ae 
a aoe 7 
GREAT PALISADES. 
detached from the mainland by a ravine, through which Palisade Creek comes from 
the westward. On the lake side, as before stated, it rises perpendicularly to the 
height of nearly two hundred feet in some places, and at the lowest point is not 
less than sixty feet above the water-level. On the land side, the rocks are quite as 
high, but may be ascended with difficulty at one or two places, by the aid of the 
small pines and firs which have taken root in the crevices. The highest point is 
near the west end. 
From the top of this rock a magnificent view was afforded of the Apostle Islands, 
about thirty miles distant; and the outline of the high ranges south of the Lake, 
from the Porcupine Mountains to Fond du Lac, was distinctly visible. The outline 
of the hills on the north shore, as seen from the top of the Great Palisades, is well 
exhibited on Plate 1, N, 9. In the construction of this view, the eye of the 
observer is supposed to be placed about three hundred feet in front of the rock, and 
about three hundred and twelve feet above the lake-level. 
9. Pulisade Creek.—This stream, which comes in behind the Great Palisades, is 
a mere rivulet, but exhibits in the first two miles a very good section,* the beds of 
which occur in the following order :— 
1. The rock forming the Palisades (No. 251), resting on very finely-laminated beds of the same rock 
(No. 252). 
2. Very fine-grained basaltic trap (No. 253), which comes from under the Palisades, and crosses the 
creek, bearing northeast. 
3. Brecciated beds (Nos. 254, 255), composed, principally, of fragments of red sandstone. 
4. Basaltic rock (No. 256), apparently intercalated with beds of highly-metamorphosed sandstone. 
5. Basaltic rock. 
* Sect. 4, Pl. 3, N. 
