NIAGARA FALLS AND VICINITY 2'J 



ing them in touch with the cities of the upper Niagara and the world 

 at large. This office is also performed by the well appointed steam- 

 boats which ply the lower Niagara, and carry passengers across 

 Lake Ontario, to and from Toronto, the capital and metropolis of 

 the province of Ontario. As these steamers enter or leave the 

 Niagara river, they pass Forts Massassauga and Niagara which 

 stand guard on opposite shores at the mouth of the river. The 

 latter fort was established in 1678, and is rich in historic associations, 

 while the Canadian fort is the modern successor of old Fort George, 

 which was destroyed during the war of 181 2. 



When the observer on the Brock monument turns to the west 

 or to the east, he sees the escarpment on which he stands, and the 

 plain at its foot stretching in either direction beyond his field of 

 view. . The continuity of the escarpment is broken at intervals by 

 ravines or gorges which dissect it, the most pronounced of these 

 being the Niagara gorge in the immediate foreground. Westward 

 from Queenston the escarpment is practically continuous for more 

 than 3 miles, when, at the little town of St Davids, it is seen to 

 recede abruptly, and a gap over a mile in width intervenes, beyond 

 which it continues in force, with only minor interruptions, to Hamil- 

 ton (Ont.), 40 miles west of the Niagara river. The gap at St 

 Davids marks an ancient valley or gorge cut into the upland 

 plateau which terminates at the escarpment. This old valley is 

 traceable southeastward as far as the whirlpool, in the formation of 

 which it has played a prominent part. It is filled throughout its 

 greater extent by sand and clay, into which modern streams have 

 cut gullies of greater or less magnitude. 



Beyond St Davids, the escarpment, though indented by numerous 

 streams, is as stated, continuous to Hamilton (Ont.). Here a larger 

 and more pronounced interruption occurs, the escarpment being 

 breached by a broad and deep channel, locally known as the Dundas 

 valley. This ancient channel, with an average width of 2 miles or 

 more, is traceable westward for a number of miles, when it becomes 

 -obliterated by drift deposits. Beyond the breach made by the Dundas 

 valley, the escarpment continues in force, its direction however hav- 

 ing changed to west of north, or nearly at right angles to its direc- 



