FORMATION OF BURLINGTON BEACH. 1 43 



stood that I do not desire to oppose another's theory, or to disturb 

 the learned, nor those deeply versed in geologic lore. 



Violent easterly storms, would, as they continue to do, wear away 

 the southerly shore of the lake, and drive forward before them the 

 small stones, gravel and sand, washed from the banks, and deposit 

 them and also the drift from the Niagara beyond a cape or projection 

 in the shore immediately east of the present mouth of the Stony 

 Creek. The clay and other fine material would be held in solution 

 by the motion of the water, and during a change of wind or a succeed- 

 ing calm, be precipitated as silt on the bottom of the lake. This 

 will account for the deposit, whenever there is a beach, being made 

 up of clean hard material. 



As the stones, gravel and sand could not by any possibility be 

 returned by the comparatively feeble action of the north or north-west 

 seas, they must have continued to accumulate, filling first the 

 mouth of the lagoon directly behind the shore projection just men- 

 tioned, thence onward along the mainland the deposit continued until 

 it met the current at the mouth of the old Grand River, at present 

 Lottridge's pond. Here a struggle began between the accumulating 

 sands and the flow of the river ; but the sands prevail, and the river's 

 mouth is pressed aside westerly, until it reaches the spot where the 

 water-pipe leaves the south filtering basin. This old channel through 

 which the river flowed into the lake, has been recently obliterated by 

 being filled up to afford the nearest roadway. This passage would be 

 ultimately closed by heavy blows filling it with sand, and the waters 

 thrown back a short time ; and again they burst through with great 

 force spewing the sand out to the left, forming a long and broad beach 

 touching the mainland. This warfare continues for a lengthened 

 period, or until, on the occasion of an unusual dry season, the river 

 contained a small quantity of water, and a succession of east storms 

 taking place, threw up such a mass of sand and gravel as to seal up 

 the mouth of the river at this place for ever. On an increase of its ■ 

 waters, the river breaks through the lighter and weaker accumula- 

 tion next the mainland, and forms a new mouth in the open bay. 

 This much narrowed channel is now spanned by the Black bridge, 

 which unites at this point the mainland and the Beach. 



The contention between the perpetually increasing sand deposit 

 and the stream was less violent for a considerable space of time, and 



