464 ' Canadian Record of Science. 
the wearing effect of storms and floods, and. possibly may 
have felt the force of even former ice periods, and their 
worn shapes must not be altogether attributed to post-plio- 
cene times. 
On its western and northwestern sides the canal is fed by 
seven systems of lakes. ‘Two of these, the River Tay and 
Black Lake systems, supply Lower Rideau Lake, and event- 
ually through the Rideau River, reach the River Ottawa. 
One system, the Wolfe Lake system, joins Upper Rideau 
Lake, the summit lake, and is therefore tributary to both 
the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa slope. The other four 
systems furnish the supply of water for the St. Lawrence 
slope, and also are through the outlet, in reality now a 
great waste weir, at Morton, the actual headwaiers of the 
Gananoque River. On the easterly side of the canal, three 
or four small lakes form sources of supply, but of these only 
Trish, Otter and Bass Lakes have any importance. 
The comparative freedom from water courses is a singular 
feature of the country bordering on the Rideau River after 
it leaves the lake systems. With the exception of the River 
Goodwood (or Jock), Irish Creek and the south branch of 
the Rideau River, not one of which has pretensions to being 
more than a creek, the Rideau has practically no tributaries 
in this length of about’'70 miles. 
Considcrable confusion appears to exist on the maps as to 
the locality, name and outlet of many of the lakes in Fron- 
tenac county, and it is therefore desirable to briefly refer to 
the lakes forming each system, my authority being one of 
the original charts on file in the Department of Railways 
and Canals at Ottawa, which Mr. F. A. Wise, the superin- 
tending engineer has kindly allowed me to consult. 
River Tay System.—Long, Eagle and Elbow Lakes in the 
townships of Hinchinbrooke and Olden, are at the head- 
waters of this system. In Bedford, it is joined by Bobs, 
(probably, originally, Robb’s), Crown or Crow) and Green 
Lakes. Entering South Sherbrooke as the River Tay, it 
has, added to it, the waters of Farrensand Silver Lakes, and 
