﻿NIAGARA 
  FALLS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  2J 
  

  

  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 
  1812. 
  

  

  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- 
  

  

  