﻿NIAGARA 
  FALLS 
  AND 
  VICINITY 
  43 
  

  

  river 
  which 
  followed 
  the 
  present 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  Grand 
  river, 
  

   above 
  Cayuga, 
  past 
  Seneca 
  and 
  Ancaster 
  into 
  the 
  western 
  end 
  

   of 
  the 
  Ontario 
  valley. 
  It 
  is 
  extremely 
  doubtful 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  

   stream 
  ever 
  existed, 
  certainly 
  it 
  is 
  highly 
  improbable 
  that 
  the 
  

   Dundas 
  valley 
  owes 
  its 
  existence 
  to 
  any 
  stream 
  which 
  flowed 
  

   eastward 
  or 
  toward 
  the 
  old-land, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  altogether 
  too 
  broad^ 
  

   and 
  continues 
  too 
  uniformly 
  to 
  permit 
  its 
  being 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  val- 
  

   ley 
  of 
  an 
  obsequent 
  stream. 
  Moreover, 
  its 
  peculiar 
  position 
  at 
  the 
  

   elbow 
  of 
  the 
  escarpment 
  is 
  most 
  suggestive 
  of 
  a 
  consequent 
  origin, 
  

   for 
  we 
  would 
  expect 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  cuesta 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  reentrant 
  where 
  

   the 
  master 
  stream 
  gathers 
  its 
  converging 
  tributaries 
  and 
  flows 
  out 
  

   through 
  a 
  great 
  breach 
  in 
  the 
  cuesta. 
  - 
  

  

  The 
  Dundas 
  valley 
  is 
  5 
  miles 
  wide 
  at 
  Hamilton 
  but 
  rapidly 
  de- 
  

   creases 
  in 
  width 
  to 
  2 
  or 
  2^ 
  miles 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  where 
  the 
  hmestone 
  

   forms 
  decidedly 
  sharp 
  summit 
  angles 
  (Spencer). 
  Its 
  northern 
  wall 
  

   has 
  been 
  traced 
  westward 
  for 
  6 
  miles 
  to 
  Copetown, 
  and 
  its 
  southern 
  

   for 
  3J 
  miles 
  ^to 
  Ancaster. 
  Beyond 
  these 
  points 
  the 
  valley 
  is 
  filled 
  

   with 
  drift 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  much 
  dissected 
  by 
  modern 
  streams. 
  The 
  

   axis 
  of 
  the 
  gorge 
  is 
  about 
  n 
  70° 
  e, 
  and 
  the 
  glacial 
  scratches 
  observed 
  

   on 
  the 
  rock 
  surfaces 
  at 
  its 
  summit, 
  with 
  few 
  exceptions, 
  make 
  angles 
  

   of 
  30° 
  or 
  more 
  with 
  it 
  (Spencer). 
  

  

  At 
  Hamilton 
  the 
  bedrock 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  absent 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  

   227 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  The 
  well 
  from 
  which 
  

   this 
  record 
  was 
  obtained 
  is 
  about 
  i 
  mile 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  southern 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  Dundas 
  valley, 
  which 
  is 
  here 
  5 
  miles 
  wide. 
  The 
  total 
  

   known 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  canyon 
  is, 
  according 
  to 
  Spencer, 
  743 
  feet, 
  but 
  

   he 
  calculates 
  that 
  it 
  reaches 
  1000 
  feet 
  near 
  the 
  center.^ 
  Along 
  the 
  

   northern 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  well 
  records 
  have 
  shown 
  the 
  absence 
  

   of 
  drift 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  depth. 
  Thus, 
  according 
  to 
  Spencer, 
  at 
  

   Vienna, 
  100 
  miles 
  due 
  west 
  of 
  BufTalo^ 
  the 
  drift 
  is 
  absent 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  

   of 
  200 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  while 
  at 
  Port 
  Stanley, 
  

   20 
  miles 
  farther 
  west, 
  it 
  is 
  absent 
  to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  150 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  

   lake. 
  At 
  Detroit 
  the 
  drift 
  is 
  130 
  feet 
  deep. 
  At 
  St 
  Marys 
  on 
  the 
  

   northwest 
  and 
  Tilsonburg 
  on 
  the 
  southeast 
  of 
  a 
  line 
  connecting 
  

  

  ^Spencer. 
  Pa. 
  geol. 
  sur. 
  Q 
  4. 
  p. 
  384-85. 
  

  

  