Geological Reports on the State of New York. 41 



The elevation of the country on the north is exceedingly uniform, and 

 from the foot of the ridge there is a gentle, almost imperceptible descent, 

 to the lake shore. North of the ridge there are no valleys but such as 

 have been worn by the present streams. The country on the south is 

 not so uniform. In many places we find transverse ridges, jutting upon 

 and terminating at the lake ridge. The road in some places is at the 

 termination of such a transverse ridge, and at other times over the top 

 of it. 



" The course of this ridge is nearly parallel to the lake shore, and from 

 four to eight miles distant. The width of the ridge at the base is from 

 four to eight rods, narrrowing to the top, which is often not more than 

 two rods wide. In many places it much exceeds this width, 



" It is the prevailing opinion that this ridge has been the shore of Lake 

 Ontario, at a period when it had a greater elevation than at present. 

 There is indeed sufficient proof of this fact in every appearance of the 

 ridge, its materials, and in the surface of the country on the north and 

 south of it. The soil on either side of the ridge is generally a clayey 

 loam, while the surface of the ridge is of sand or fine gravel. The 

 whole of the ridge is superficial, being composed of sand, gravel and 

 pebbles; the latter of sandstone, or other siliceous rock. All the mate- 

 rials are similar to those forming the beaches along the present lake shore. 

 There is no connexion between the ridge and the rock below, except that 

 the rock supports the ridge without altering its form or course. The ele- 

 vation of Lake Ontario to the level of this ridge furnishes the only plau- 

 sible means by which we can explain its present appearances; and how- 

 ever reluctant we may be to admit such a condition, we are forced to do 

 so from the abundant evidence furnished. 



" The uneven country on the south side of the ridge is, in many places, 

 strongly contrasted with the uniform elevation and gentle slope on the 

 north. The absence of inequalities in the surface on the north of the 

 ridge, and at the same time the presence of boulders and pebbles, show- 

 ing the action of currents, can be explained only by supposing some gen- 

 tle force, like the lake waters, to have reduced the ridges and hills, and 

 have distributed the materials equally over the surface. 



" After the subsidence of the ancient lake, the accumulation of water 

 south of the ridge, forced the barrier, and has worn itself a channel to the 

 lake shore. In pursuing these water courses, we find a uniformly narrowr 

 channel till we approach the ridge from the south, when there is a sudden 

 expansion, which, after passing the ridge, assumes a narrow channel till 

 near the present lake shore, when it again expands. We sometimes find 

 extensive swamps, limited on the north by this ridge; in some of them 

 there has not been a sufficient accumulation of water to force a passage 

 through the ridge, and artificial outlets have been made for drainage. By 

 this process, large tracts of valuable land are being reclaimed. 

 Vol. XXXVI, No. 1.— Jan.-April, 1839. 6 



