226 



ON ELECTROTYPING OPERATIONS. 



[If53. 



Another ancient beach mark, about ] 5 miles inland, and as far 

 as yet ascertained, abont the same level as the one at Penetangui- 

 shine, can be traced for a long distance in the Township of Toso- 

 rontio — it passes through the tract of burnt land already desciibed, 

 the soil of which being pure sand, in all probabi.ity formed the 

 shoals of a lake extending to the north and ciist, the outline of 

 vhich is ajiproximated by the dotted line marked from VO to SO 

 feet high on the accompanying map. Nor are these the only 

 traces of old lake beaches met ^^■ith in this region, although the 

 dense foiest nearly everywhere covering the surface is a great 

 impediment to their easy discovery. In the 'Jownship of St. 

 Vincent, near the Village of Mcafoi'd, besides a very conspicuous 

 one, corresponding in level with those already mentioned, seNcral 

 otheis of lesser note are found at various heights ; at Owen 

 Sound, also, thev are remarkably well defined ; while Cape 

 Croker, on the western side of Georgian Bav, vitwe 1 even from 

 a distance, and the well remembered shape of tlie Giant's Tomb, 

 on the eastern, show striking evidences of having been acted on 

 for ages by the storms of Lake Huron, when at a higher level. 



It has been said that some of these terraces are estimated at Vo 

 or 80 feet above the level of the Lake, by drawing a contour line 

 coinciding with this height around the lowtr pa t of the valley 



it is found that the high ridge of sand, now in some parts blown 

 up into dunes near the mouth of the ri\er, will form a narrow neck of 

 land (supposing the lake at its former level) stretchnig across 

 from shore to shore, and resembling in ri:any respects the " Bur- 

 lington Beach" on Lake Ontario, and also " Fond-du-La>.' on 

 Lake Superior; like the firat it encloses a Bay of consideiable 

 depth of water but of far greater area. That this lidgc has 

 been formed in a manner precisely similar to those two by the 

 sand washed from the pdjoining shores there is great pro- 

 bability, in fact there is good reason to believe that the same 

 natural agents, at present in active operation moving the outlet 

 of the river eastward, have also formed this upper ridge by trans- 

 porting the materials, of which it is composed, from the base of 

 the escarpment at Collingwood. 



In attei;ipting to arrive at the Geological age of these ancient 

 Beaches, it will be necessaiy to show whether their position, 

 at a considerable height above the level of the Lake, may be at- 

 tributable to a gradual elevation of the land or to a subsidence 

 of the water. The last hypothesis seems the most tenable since 

 the first would involve a local upheaval only and an inclination 

 of the plane of the terraces at variance with their apparent horizon- 

 tality. Should farther rcs-earches pi'ove the existence of tenaces 

 or other indications of old beaches on the western margin of 

 Lake Huron, corresponding in height with those discovered 

 along the eastern shore; the supposition that the level of the 

 water has been lowered by the wearing away of some barrier 

 will be strongly supported ; and if this be allownd as a reasona- 

 ble explanation for these geological mdnuniriit'*, we have then 

 by drawing contour hnes coinciding with their level, the means 

 of discovering the probable position of this barrier. P'rom all 

 that 1 can leain regarding the relative levels of the country these 

 lines would pass over the ]ieninsula between Lakes Huruu and 

 Erie, at some dislance inland from the river St. Clair, and would 

 , continued csistward along (he shores of Lake Erie, fall within 



the summit of the neck of land, through which the chasm of the 

 Niagaia River is cut. 



Thus, then, the traces of old lake beaches discovered in the 

 valley of the Nottawasaga and adjacent country are coeval with 

 the Niagara, and as it wore a deep channel thi-ough thechviding 

 ridge between Ontario and Erie the waters of the Upper Lakes 

 ■vvoul(J subside to their present levels : but this conclusion can 

 only be confirmed by moie caretul and moie extended researches. 



That the vast beds of sand at and around tl.ie mouth of the 

 Nottawasaga have been transported by the waves from the neigh- 

 Loi'iug shores, may be questioned by those who have seen the 

 extent of the deposit, is not unlikely, more es]iecially since the 

 present annual incease appears so exceedingly small wlien brought 

 into comparison with the whole mass — but if it be established 

 that a length of time equal to the age of the Niagara P'alls, as 

 estimated by Lyell, be allowei.l for the deposition, there will be 

 no good reason why this should be doubted ; and by the accep- 

 tance of these suppositions it will not be necessary either to disre- 

 gard the analogy of existing nature, or to assume that her forces 

 were more energetic in yeais gone by. 



In concluding these rambling observations it may not be out 

 of place to state that as my acquaintance with the country, bor- 

 dering on the Nottawasaga, has been limited, and the duties devolv- 

 ing upon me while in that quarter left little time for a more careful 

 examination of the various matteis referred to, I am only enabled 

 to draw attention to them. I trust, however, it has been shown 

 that in this region a wide and interesting field is open for the 

 investigation of the Geologist, and although now isolated by the 

 very worst of roads, the Railway in progress will, in a few 

 months, bring wuhin a two or three houi's journey of Toronto 

 what now requires as many days of fatiguing travel to reach. 



On the Electrotyping Operations of the U. S. Coist Survey. 



Bij George Mathiot, Eledrotypist : heing a Report to Major 

 I. I. Stevens, Assistant in charge of the Coast Survey 

 Office:^ 



In compliance with your request, I present the following report 

 of the electrotype art as now practised in this office. Most of 

 the appaiatus and processes here used are entirely new. 



To clearly exhibit the advantages derived from their introduc- 

 tion, it will be necessary to consider the scientific piincijiles 

 involved in their use, and also to take a cursoiy view of the his^ 

 tory of the elecirotyping art. 



1'he art of working metals by electric currents is of very recent 

 introduction; and although it has advanced with great rapidity, 

 it is yet, perhaps, in a state of infancy in its applications, and of 

 crudeness in the modes of conducting it. 



The electro-deposition of metals was observed hy most experi- 

 menters with the voltaic batter}'. As early <is 1804, electro- 

 gilding had been successfull}' practised ; but the idea of making 

 castings by electric currents does not seem to have occurred to 

 any one previous to the introduction of Daniel's battery, to which 

 electro-casting is incidental. 



After the introduction of Daniel's batteiy, it siimillaneously 

 occurred to several pel sons that electric currents might lie used 

 to make castings of a finer kind than were obtained by melting 

 and pouring. Propositions to this eflect are about all that can 



* Dated Eleciiniype Laboraiory, Cnasi Survey Ollue, Wasliin°loii, Nov. 

 2f), ISOlj and publi^lled as appendix 55 to Senate Document, No. 2. 



