Are Great Lakes Retaining their Ancient Level? 385 
this stage of water was the normal condition, and it quite 
accounts for the alarm of the shipowners and masters, who 
have had unpleasant reminders by the grounding of their 
vessels that the water has been steadily falling half a foot 
yearly since 1886, 
The water in Lake Ontario attains its maximum in May, 
in Lake Hrie in June, in Lakes Huron and Michigan in 
July and August, and in Lake Superior in August and 
September. 
This rapid fall of the water since 1886 was very notice- 
able in the steep shores of the vicinity of Parry Sound last 
year, the rocks being void of vegetation and stained black 
from.-2 to 25 feet above the level of the present water. 
Admiral Bayfield in 1820 shows two clean granite rocks 
just level with the water in that year. In 1887 these two 
rocks were in the same condition. 
Gen. Poe, U.S. A., the best authority probably on the 
hydrography of the inland seas, says in a letter tome: “I 
cannot believe that the unprecedently low water in Lake 
Huron will continue, but think the level will come up again 
as soon as the precipitation becomes normal. For four or 
five years in succession the precipitation in the basins of the 
lakes eastward of Lake Superior has been below the mean, 
a fact which sufficiently explains the low stage we now have. 
Still 1 am further of the opinion that the surface of the 
lakes has been at some time at a considerably lower level 
than that of which we have any record, and it is possible 
that the subsidence may continue till that lower level is 
reached. That is, evidence exists to show that we are now 
in the highest state of a series of fluctuations which have 
long periods, probably a century or two.” 
Mr. Carpmael, the director of the Meteorological Ob- 
servatory at Toronto, says: ‘As to whether the recent 
deficiency in rainfall is likely to be permanent, is a 
question of great difficulty. It seems not unlikely, to a 
limited extent, the recent deficiency may be owing to the 
diminution of the forests.” 
