On the Boulclers of Primitive Rocks found in Ohio, fyc. 295 



waters flowing north and south, is found south of Lake 

 Michigan, or between the heads of the St. Peter and Red 

 rivers. 



On the supposition, that an immense lake covered the 

 north western territory, one thousand one hundred and sixty 

 five feet above the ocean, its northern bank must have disap- 

 peared from the country west of Lake Superior, as the St. 

 Lawrence, Mississippi, Red river and Saskashawine rise, in a 

 vast plain from ponds and swamps, which are probably at no 

 greater elevation than the great plain of the North Western 

 territory.* If this difficulty were removed, and we could 

 take for granted, that a sufficient barrier to the supposed 

 lake, upon the north side, did exist in remote times, the south 

 would remain to be provided for. On the inclined plane, 

 over which the waters of the Mississppi flow to the gulf of 

 Mexico, no appearance of any ridge or mountain range has 

 been observed, lying in a direction across the course of that 

 river below the mouth of the Ohio ; the Ozark mountains 

 and all the other elevated ridges seem to run parallel with 

 the Mississippi valley, and if any of them are as high as the 

 great plain of the North western territory their position pre- 

 cludes the supposition, that they ever formed the southern 

 shore of the conjectured " immense lake." 



It may be doubted, whether any of the hills bordering the 

 Ohio river, are higher than the plain north west of them ; the 

 rivers Wabash, Miami, Sciota, Muskingum and Big Beaver, 

 all rise in this plain ; flowing, at first, with gentle current, and 

 within low banks, they, (particularly the four latter) soon 

 change the " even tenor of their way," 1 ' to one more impet- 

 uous, and descend to the Ohio river, through vallies increasing 

 in depth, as they rush onward. They, with their numerous 

 tributaries, whose channels are similarly formed, seem to 

 have cut up the whole country bordering on the Ohio, into 

 ridges always running parallel with their courses ; these rid- 

 ges are lower below the falls of Ohio than above, and lower 

 in proportion, as the great plain of the north west descends 

 toward the south, with a greater declivity than the bed of the 

 Ohio. The falls of the Ohio, at Louisville are not caused by 

 the breaking through, or wearing away of a mountain range, 

 their being no appearance of such range, upon either side. 



* Major Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, vol. 2, p. 379, 



