134 JOURNAL AND HROCEEDINGS. 



WAYSIDE NOTES. 



Read tefore the Hamilton Association, May 7th, 1896, 

 BY WM. YATES HATCHLEY, ONT. 



On travelling northward from Toronto, the undulations of the 

 land frequently afford extensive views from the railroad car windows, 

 and the soil is seen to yield good crops, and fruit orchards are a 

 prominent feature of the landscape, and the frequent stoppages of 

 the train at numerous towns and villages, and throngs of well-dressed 

 passengers that get on or off the train indicate a general state of 

 contentment and prosperity. 



There is a continually ascending grade until Lake Simcoe be- 

 comes visible, and even onwards until the towns of Allandale and 

 Barrie have been passed, then, a few miles northward from the latter 

 place, the small streams that the railway crosses may be seen to have 

 their currents directed towards Georgian Bay, on Lake Huron. 

 Soon after passing New Lowell station, on the Meaford branch line, 

 high and continuous ranges of dark-tinted hills may be seen both to 

 the right hand and to the left looming up at a distance of several 

 miles. On the western side of the right hand acclivity runs mean- 

 deringly northward of the Nottawasaga river to its debouchure in 

 Lake Huron, where the coast has a large semi-circular trend and a 

 picturesque beach whose crescent line is margined with a light forest 

 growth of cedar, etc., for a sweep of nine or ten miles. 



The above mentioned ranges of hills are continuous through 

 the county of North Simcoe for a number of miles, and enclose the 

 wide valley of the Nottawasaga creek, and other small affluents. 

 And as we travel along the road that leaves the lake beach and go 

 southward towards Barrie, a number of low escarpments are observa- 

 ble, which seems a strong indication that the waters of the Georgian 

 Bay were at some by-gone period at a much higher level than is the 

 case at present. There is a wide extent of flat country forming a 



