ANCIENT STKAIT AT NIPISSING. 



625 



at Sudbury for the particular purpose of making the trip to Cartier. From Ver- 

 milion river to the summit, three miles east of Cartier, there is an ascent of 496 

 feet in 14^ miles, and the ahitude of Cartier above mean tide is 1,363 feet. I had 

 counted quite confidently on finding the great upper beach somewhere on this 

 slope. On going there I found immense terraces of gravel at several elevations up 

 to about 1,200 feet above sealevel. They are old deltas of the Ohnaping river and 

 the smaller streams which flow into Silver lake. The railway cuts them to splendid 

 advantage for observation and they have been excavated extensively for ballast. 

 The country is very rough, heavily wooded and there are no roads, but the ter- 

 races can be seen distinctly from the rear platform of the train. I saw a few sand 

 and gravel ridges near the highest level which closely resembled beaches, but could 

 not be certain as to that. For 40 or 50 feet above the terrace at 1,200 feet there 

 are extensive gravels filling up the 

 stream beds. They are undoubtedly 

 related to the ancient water-level. It 

 seems probable, judging by similar 

 I^laces previously observed, that the 

 highest beach proper is 20 or 30 feet 

 above the level of the massive terrace 

 at 1,200 feet. 



Cartier is built upon a level gravel 

 plain which seems to have filled an 

 ancient lake or expanded valley. 

 About a mile to the west against the 

 rough hills are three distinct terraces 

 like steps of perhaps 15 or 20 feet each. 

 I do not know whether these forms 

 are glacial or in what relation, if any, 

 they stand to the great submergence. 



Ancient Nipissing Island. 



If the highest beaches here de- 

 scribed mark approximately the con- 

 tour of the shoreline of the great 

 submergence, it must have covered 

 a wide area of the surrounding low- 

 lands. Upon the basis of these deter- 

 minations I have sketched in figure 1 

 this part of Ontario, showing the loca- 

 tion of the strait and the lake country 



to the north and, also in a rough and only conjectural way, tlie probable extent of 

 the water in that direction. The interesting region of the northern lakes is still 

 wild and almost unbroken ; but the general character of the country is pretty well 

 known. The altitudes of the larger lakes have been determined approximately 

 and canoe routes are followed from one to another. The altitude of Temiscamang 

 lake is given by the Canadian Geological Survey as 612 feet above sealevel. Lake 

 Tamagaming, to the southwest, I did not find, but it is probably not much more 

 than 100 feet higher. AVagamiug is given at 862 feet, and Wahnapitaeping still 

 farther southwest at 937 feet. Tamagaming is remarkable for having two outlets, 



FuiUKE l.—Sketch Map of part of northern Ontario. 



Showing, 1, ancient Nipissing island, witli the 

 strait to the south of it; 2, hike Nipissing; 3, the 

 Ottawa river; lake Temiscamang; 5, lake Tamaga- 

 ming; 6, lake Wagaming; 7, lake Wahnapitaeping; 

 lake Abitibbi. 



