﻿28 
  NEW 
  Y9RK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  tion 
  south 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  The 
  eastern 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  penin- 
  

   sula 
  between 
  Georgian 
  bay 
  and 
  Lake 
  Huron 
  and 
  the 
  bold 
  bluff 
  of 
  

   Cabot's 
  head 
  mark 
  the 
  northward 
  extent 
  of 
  this 
  escarpment, 
  which, 
  

   after 
  an 
  interruption 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  transverse 
  channel, 
  is 
  farther 
  trace- 
  

   able 
  in 
  the 
  northern 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  Manitoulin 
  islands. 
  Eastward 
  the 
  

   escarpment 
  continues 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Lockport, 
  where 
  its 
  con- 
  

   tinuity 
  is 
  interrupted 
  by 
  two 
  pronounced 
  gulfs, 
  through 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  

   the 
  Erie 
  canal 
  descends 
  to 
  the 
  lowland 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  Beyond 
  

   Lockport 
  the 
  escarpment 
  becomes 
  less 
  pronounced; 
  at 
  first 
  it 
  sep- 
  

   arates 
  into 
  several 
  minor 
  steps 
  or 
  terraces 
  and 
  later 
  it 
  is 
  replaced 
  by 
  

   a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  continuous 
  and 
  gentle 
  slope. 
  Beyond 
  the 
  Genesee 
  

   river 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  distinguishable, 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  as- 
  

   cending 
  gently 
  and 
  uniformly 
  from 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  southward. 
  

  

  Turning 
  now 
  toward 
  the 
  south, 
  the 
  observer 
  sees 
  a 
  second 
  plain 
  

   extending 
  from 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  Niagara 
  escarpment 
  to 
  where 
  its 
  

   continuity 
  is 
  blended 
  with 
  the 
  horizon. 
  This 
  plain 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  uni- 
  

   form 
  as 
  the 
  Ontario 
  plain, 
  which 
  is 
  fully 
  200 
  feet 
  below 
  it, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   sharply 
  divided 
  by 
  the 
  Niagara 
  gorge, 
  from 
  its 
  northern 
  edge 
  at 
  the 
  

   escarpment 
  to 
  where, 
  in 
  the 
  distance, 
  a 
  cloud 
  of 
  spray 
  marks 
  the 
  

   location 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  cataracts. 
  In 
  the 
  walls 
  of 
  the 
  gorge 
  can 
  be 
  

   seen 
  the 
  cut 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  which 
  enter 
  into 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  

   this 
  higher 
  plain, 
  and 
  attentive 
  observation 
  will 
  reveal 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  

   the 
  uppermost 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  a 
  firm-looking 
  limestone 
  bed, 
  which 
  in- 
  

   creases 
  perceptibly 
  in 
  thickness 
  toward 
  the 
  north. 
  This 
  thickening 
  

   of 
  the 
  capping 
  limestone 
  bed, 
  whose 
  upper 
  surface 
  is 
  essentially 
  

   level, 
  brings 
  out 
  a 
  fact 
  not 
  otherwise 
  readily 
  noticed, 
  namely 
  that 
  the 
  

   strata 
  all 
  have 
  a 
  gentle 
  inclination 
  or 
  dip 
  to 
  the 
  south. 
  The 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  upper 
  plain, 
  aside 
  from 
  minor, 
  mainly 
  local 
  irregularities, 
  is 
  

   essentially 
  level, 
  scarcely 
  rising 
  above 
  the 
  600 
  foot 
  contour 
  line. 
  

   This 
  is 
  the 
  elevation, 
  above 
  the 
  sea, 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  Brock's 
  monu- 
  

   ment, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  average 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  plain 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Buffalo, 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  which, 
  20 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  

   a 
  perpetual 
  cloud 
  of 
  smoke 
  above 
  the 
  horizon.^ 
  

  

  ^A 
  very 
  satisfactory 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  level 
  character 
  of 
  this 
  plain 
  is 
  obtained 
  

   during 
  a 
  ride 
  by 
  rail 
  from 
  Niagara 
  Falls 
  to 
  Lockport, 
  and 
  thence 
  by 
  train 
  

   or 
  electric 
  car 
  to 
  Buffalo. 
  

  

  