92 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS 



the land, in the regions about the sources of the Grand River, have 

 been commented upon by the most indifferent observers that reside 

 in this district, and have proved a source of much embarrassment to 

 mill owners, bridge builders, etc. 



The evidence seems pretty strong that Burford Plains were 

 once covered by fresh water, the drainage of which seems to have 

 been accomplished through sluiceways, marked now not far from 

 where White Man's Creek joins the Grand River about five miles 

 above Brantford city. And if, as some geologists assert, Lake Erie 

 was formed by a rather sudden subsidence, the most of these lacus- 

 trine changes, including the formation of the isolated mounds, 

 could be perhaps easily accounted for. 



Since the acceptance of the theory of a glacial epoch by geol- 

 ogists, surmises have been put forth that a majority of our swampy 

 depressions are the result of stranded ice masses melting slowly 

 when surrounded by eddying volumes of iresh water. And if the 

 formation of moraines gives any corroboration to such conjectures, 

 it may be adduced in evidence that ridges and isolated heaps of 

 rounded gravel are very frequently met with on the margin of our 

 black ash and other swamps. One particular gravel mound of this 

 kind occurs near here ; the mound on the side toward the west 

 sloped gently to the general land level, while on the side adjoining 

 the edge of the swamp the heap of small rounded stones and coarse 

 sand had a perpendicular face of thirty feet or more. The said 

 mound was purchased some twenty-five years ago by the Municipal 

 Council of Norwich Township and teamed away to improve the 

 highways. 



After a rapid winter thaw the waters of Big Creek swell to some- 

 thing like what have been assumed as prehistoric dimensions. Then 

 frequently intense cold immediately follows and ice more than one 

 foot in thickness covers the wide expanse. Towards spring another 

 thaw accompanied by heavy rain is inaugurated, the ice breaks up- 

 and is piled in huge chaotic masses near some gorge or narrowing of 

 the vale, and soon some of these jams are put in motion, and with 

 irresistible force occasionally strike the shore or some slight emin- 

 ence on the flats of the valley and carry off masses of earth, stone 

 and sod, to considerable distances. Three years ago about an acre 

 of rich meadow land near here, was stripped of its sward by a sudden 

 break-up of this kind. These changes taking place before our eyes, 



