THE VALLEY OF THE :N'0TTAWASAGA. 



[1S53. 



hiTber levels, ^vitL a speculatioii as to the geological date of these 

 beavhei. 



Bv lojking at the map of Western Canada, it will be'seen 

 that "the JS'ottawasaga flows into the south-eastein extremity of 

 that di^ ision of Lake Huron known as ihe Geoigian Baj*. Al- 

 though no compai'ison can be instituted between the Nottawtifaga 

 and tiie chief ri^ere of this Province the St. Lawrence, the Kiagara, 

 the Ottawa and othci's,yet, of all the minor streams flowing into 

 the great lakes, the Nottaw;is:iga ajiproaehes more nearly the lead- 

 ing ehaiacteristicsof a river, and passes through a country probably 

 more diversified m character than any of them ; it takes its rise in 

 high broken ground, its numerous tributaries are scattered over 

 a wide extent, and it flows through a boldly-marked valley, the 

 bottom of wdiich has a width of from 10 to 12 miles for a long- 

 distance before reaching Lake Huron. The other smaller streams, 

 particularly those emptying into Lake Outaiio, are generally 

 found to flow through narrow ravines, cut by themselves during 

 a long course of time, out of the beds of drift deposited on the 

 suifaee. 



The country drained by this river comprises an area of nearlv 

 1200 square miles, about one-twelfth of which is under cultiva- 

 tion, the remainder being forest land ; the settlements are gene- 

 rally distributed over the high-ground within the watei-shed, 

 and have a soil in most cases of the finest quality ; the valley 

 proper on the contrary, is as yet one continued dreary wild, a 

 large portion of which, in all Lkelihood, will forever remain so, 

 by reason of the extensive tracts of barren, sandy plains, and 

 the fearful inundations which characterize other portions. 



The roads in this quai-ter being not only few, but as they run 

 for a limited distance in one ]iarticular direction, they cannot be 

 followed with much advantage in pointing out the generalfeatui'es 

 of the country. Such being the case, in order to facilitate des- 

 cription it will be convenient to depart from them, and guided 

 bv the pocket compass take two imaginary journies through the 

 woods, one from East to West across the Valle}', and another 

 following the couise of the river, from its source downwards, 

 briefly noting the points of roost interest, as we pass along — 

 commencing with the former. 



In the Township of Medonte and Oro the surface is much 

 broken up into hill and dale; on the summit line some peaks may 

 reach a height of from 700 to 800 feet abo^■e Lake Huron ; the 

 soil is clay, gravel or sand, in some places strewed with large 

 bouldere, and resembles in many j'espects the high ground 

 (known as the li Iges) which extends ]iai'allel to Lake Ontario from 

 Kico Lakeand Lake Scugog westwai'd aci'O-ss Yonge Stieet. Along 

 the Souih and West corner of Medonte a tract of flat, wet ground 

 known as Craig's Swam]i, situated between high abru]>t banks, is 

 found to be the summit of thi'ee sti'eams, t\\ o of which flow into 

 Gloucester Bay, the other, the Willow Creek, being a branch of 

 the Noltawasaga. This swamp is 240 feet above Lake Huron, 

 from which, following the latter stream, we by ra])id descents 

 arrive at a point neai- the centre of the Townsliij) of Vespra, not 

 more than 20 feet above the Lake, although by the windings of 

 the river it may be 2.5 miles inland. This is the eastern edge of 

 what is called the Ves|ira Swamp or "flooded land"; (the 

 position of which is shown in the accoin])anying map,) a high 

 ridge sejiarates this point fiom Lake Simcoe at the Town of 

 Barrie, and so badly watered is this rirlge, that the seltlei-s have 

 sunk wells to unusual depths with little succcs.s. The Willow 

 Creek is about 100 feet under the level of Lake Simcoe, ami 

 only 5 or C miles distant therefrom. Proceeding westward along 

 the coui-se of this stream, the b;mks of which are level with the 

 water, and covered with willows and other bushes indigenous to 

 a rich moist soil, we airive, after travei-sing its innumeiable 



windings, at the Nottawasaga River, about the centre of the 

 flooded land. The river is wide, black and deep; its summer 

 level will aver;'ge from 4 to 6 feet under the adjoining banks, 

 and in Spring, after heavy freshets, from 6 10*8 feet above them, 

 as indicated by the horizontal lings on many of the trees about this 

 level ; it is estimated that in some seasons neaily 25 thousand acres 

 are covered with water; this, howeber, being caused by the rapid 

 thawing of deep snow in the upper country, does not remain more 

 than three or four days at this extraordinary height, and conse- 

 quently efteets no pei-manent injury to the descri]ition of timber 

 ■with which the surface is covered. The soil is ch.iefly composed 

 of decayed vegetable matter, and where not too low, supports 

 trees of the largest dimensions. The whole area abounds with 

 beaver, whose labours can be traced almost evervvhere along 

 the river banks, and since these yearlj' floods, will in all pro- 

 babilit}' increase in volume as the country to the .south becomes 

 cleared, (judging from effects produced inolder settlements); and 

 as the draining of this vast plain, (26 miles in circumference,) 

 may prove a hopeless task, a secure retreat is thus provided by 

 nature for the shelter of those hve emblems of Canadian industry. 



Leaving the westei'n edge of the flooded land, we ascend by 

 gentle slopis through Sunuidale to the Township of Nottawasaga, 

 near the stuith-east corner of which, on tlie road from Cremor 

 Mills to Mad River, a freak of nature rarely to be met with may 

 be noted : i. e., the close proximity of two streams running in 

 the same direction at diffi?rent levels, shown by the follcwing 

 sectional sketch. The smallest sti-eam is about the size of the 



Singular 2'Qsilw)i of two Streams. 



Don where it crosses Hogs Hollow, (say 20 feet w ide) ; it flows 

 about 20 or 25 feet above the level of the larger, and is separated 

 by a ridge of tenacious clay only about 12 yards in -width. These 

 sti earns are said to diverge after running parallel about a ndle, 

 ultimately joining at a. greater distance. The remarkable singu- 

 laiity of theii- position, although at the present time in the midst 

 of a dense forest, will, doubtless, point out the locality of a mill, 

 or village, to some enterprising or speculative settler. 



Continuing westward, across ravines and up steep ascents, we 

 at last arrive ;it a large settlement on the eastern slope of the Blue 

 Mountains, passing through which, and still ascending, we 

 have to climb a rocky chft', near the eastern bountlary of Osprey. 

 The rock is supposed to be a member of the Medina Sandstone, 

 and is used in the locality for giinding-stones. Arriving at the 

 summit, which mu.st be 1,000 feet above Lake Huron, and looking 

 baekwarks over the countiy traveled, one of the most extensive, 

 if not one of the grandest prospects to be met with in Western Can- 

 ada, is presented to the tra\eller; the view is not restricted by too 

 many trees in the foreground, and extending across Lake Huron 

 as far as the Christian Islands to the north, and over the whole 

 Valley of the Nottawa.snga to the east and south, a semi-circle, 

 whose radius m.ay be upwards of 30 miles, is taken in, the dark 

 ibliago of the low ground f^tr bene.ath conti-asts boldly with the 

 bright waters of the Georgian Pay, and the hills enclosing Lake 



