164 



approaching the open watei's of the Hrnnber Bay, its course has been 

 turned towjirds the north. 



The direction in whieh the drift is moved by the waTes, is subject, 

 of course, to the direction of the wind ; and the quantity moved bears 

 intimate relation to the force of the vraTcs, -n-hich with winds of equal 

 Telocity are again dependent for their power upon the area which they 

 traverse. Now we know it is beyond dispute, 1st, that the prevailing 

 wind of Lake Ontario mainly affecting its north shore is from 

 the south-east ; and 2ndly, that the greatest extent of water over 

 which any wind impinging on the north shore of the lake can taa- 

 verse, is also south-easterly, so that inasmuch as the formation of the 

 peninsula is identical with that of tlie Scarborough Heights, and the 

 prevailing and most powerful winds precisely those which would caiTy 

 the drift thence to the peninsula, we have very strong grounds for con- 

 cluding that to those influences its formation may be ascribed. But 

 further, if we recur to the principle upon which ilr. Shanley rests his 

 argument, that of a neutral line between two conflicting currents sur- 

 charged with debris, we shall find that it may be applied with more 

 consistency in aid of this than of any other hypothesis : for let us again 

 premise that the original run of the Don waters was free iuto the lake 

 and nearly (as tlie outlet of the stream still denotes) at right angles 

 with the shore, then they have impinged upon the lake waters at a 

 point opposite the outlet, and under the influence of the prevailing and 

 the most powerful winds have been turned westerly. Tlie neutral line 

 would of course take the same direction, and on it the deposition alike 

 of the debris from the Don, and the drift from Scarborough would take 

 place, until by that deposition the currents would be divided, the 

 neutral Hne lost, but a base be formed upon which the extension of the 

 peninsula would result in a westerly direction, and by the drift alone. 

 In these suppositions there is nothing inconsistent with the ascertained 

 facts of the case : indeed we find that the surface of the peninsula is 

 composed of a succession of ridges, all starting fi-om the east, in curves 

 adjacent and tangential, or nearly so, to the line of the south shore, but 

 Spreading and pointing towards the north-west : an effect clearly of the 

 south-east wind, and proving that much is due to its greater power and 

 prevalence. 



Believing, then, that the formation has been and still is, mainly, if 

 not altogetlier, from the Eastward, we might proceed to discuss the 

 propriety of the measures suggested in view of the preservation of the 

 Bay Channel from further encroachment. But, we have already said 

 that, " if the premises be erroneous, the deduction must be false," and 

 as the application of that law is common to aU arguments, it may perhaps 

 be better not to extend the criticism to those practical measures which 

 we are inclined to think have been suggested in the absence of that 

 full knowledge of tlie local conditions, under which alone works of so 

 important a character can be prudently undertaken. We cannot, how- 

 ever, conclude without briefly expressing our regi'et, that in such a case 

 (it matters Hot from whence the cvU comes) the Dredge should be 

 referred to as a permanent necessitt/, for in that viev/ it generally has 

 been, still is, and we think, always should be, the dread of an Engi- 

 neer. Always a costly expedient, in harbour channel works —except 

 as the remover of some Standing and purely local obstruction, — the 

 pioneer of a scour. — or of some equally permanent remedial or preven- 

 tive power, — it is temporary in its rcsiUts, endless in its application, 

 and accordhigly the dernier resort of the Engineer. It is often easier 

 and more economical, alieays more satisfactory, to divert a drift than to 

 remove it ; and he must be a patient practitioner indeed, who, having 

 dredged a bar, stands by during the deposition of its successor to renew 

 the process. 



In the heading to this review, we have named Mr. TuUy's " Letter" 

 as being one of the documents recently submitted on the subject ; as, 

 however, the considci-ation of the others has more than covered the 

 groimd which H occu]>ics. and as in relation to the formation of the 

 Peninsula, it professes no novelty, we shall refrain from any special 

 notice, and merely express our satisfaction that this qiiestion has 



EE VIEWS. [1853- 



at length forced itself upon public notice, and attracted even gratuitour. 

 enquiry amongst professional men. 



Journal of the Society of Arts and of the Institutions in Unioi. — 

 George Bell, London. 

 This Journal is a record of the proceedings of the Society of Arts 

 and of the Institutions in union with that body. Its objects are so 

 fully and explicitly detaOed in the subjoined introduction to the first 

 number, which appeared November 26th 1852, that we cannot do 

 better than ti-anscribe it in full ; 



" The rapid increase which, during the last few years has taken 

 place in the business of the Society of Arts, has rendered it necessary 

 for the Council to make a complete change in the mode of publishing 

 the Society's weekly proceedings, which have, in fact, hitlierto con- 

 tained little more than a condensed account of the papers read at the 

 weekly meetings, and such routine business as from time to time 

 came before the Society. As, however, from the greatly enlarged 

 range of subjects which at present occupy the attention of the Society, 

 and from the many important inquiries which its niembeis are prose- 

 cuting, the mere weekly ti'ausactiuns evidently constitute but a small 

 part of the useful labours of the Society, it has beeu deemed necessary 

 by the Council, to adopt such changes in the weekly publication of 

 the Society as should render it not merely a record of the proceedings 

 at the Wednesday Evening Meetings, but, in fact, a regular and sys- 

 tematic Journal of the various great and interesting uudertakiugs 

 which the Society is, at present, actively can'yiug ou. 



Ever since the Council determined to dis-continue the publication 

 of a yearly volume of Transactions, the want of a Journal has beeu felt 

 and acknowledged, and it has been evident that the printed weekly 

 proceediugs did not suJHcieutly meet this requiremet, neither serving 

 as a register of the various important subjects brought before the 

 Society, nor yet even as a means of making tlie members themselves 

 conversant witli the numerous investigations and inquiries earned out 

 by the Committees of the Society. In determining to publish an 

 extended weekly journal, the CouncO are guided by the fact that 

 while such a paper will prove a more satisfactory means of commu- 

 nicating to the members, and also to the public at large, the proceed- 

 ings of the Standing Committees, of the Colonial and Foreign 

 Committees, and of the Provincial Institutes Committee, it will, at the 

 same time, also become a means of materially assisting those Com- 

 mittees in the various important matters under tlicir consideration. In 

 no department of the Society's labours, will the new Journal be more 

 useful, than in connection with the General Union of Literary, 

 Scientific and Mechanics' Institutes just formed, and which aheady 

 numbers 225 institutions hi all parts of the Empire, including, in the 

 whole, upwards of 90,000 members. It will be obvious that the 

 Journal will supply a medium of communication with the members of 

 these institutions, and will oti'er facilities in the way of correspond- 

 ence between them and the Society of Arts, far beyond any mere 

 system of correspondence by letter. This, whilst it will diminish the 

 labour of tlie Committees of the Society, will, it is hoped, at the same 

 time, greatly increase their power of usefulness. 



It is only necessary at present further to state, that the Journal will 

 be conducted by the Secretary, under the immediate control of the 

 Council ; that, under proper regulations, its pages will be open to 

 contributions on all subjects connected with tlie progress of human 

 industry, and the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce 

 and that, as far as may be found to be practicable, it wiU, in addition 

 to the proceedings of the Society of Arts, and the Institutions in 

 Union with it, contain brief notices of the proceedings of other similar 

 societies, and in general, of all matters of .scientific or technical 

 interest. The Council, however, will only consider thcnisclves respon- 

 sible for as much as is sigued by their Secretary bj- order." 



A very numerous list of subjects for Premiums is given in the third 

 and succeeding numbers of the Journal, some of which are both inter- 

 esting and important to Canada, and will probably elicit information 

 on the topics to which they refer. The Council state that in publish- 

 ing the List of Subjects for Premiums for the Session of 1852-3. they 

 desire to indicate some of those subjects of inquirj' which are con- 

 sidered as peculiarly deserving of attention, and for which therefore 

 they offer premiums. The object of the Society has always been to 

 encourage useful inventions, and communications relating to any 

 department of Arts, Manufactures, or Commerce, are leccived and 

 always meet with due attention ; a premium or other reward being 

 given in those caics where the communication is deemed of sufficient 

 value or importance. lu the following List of Subjects, which includes 

 the first division of the Prize List, each article is followed by a brief 



i 



