264 THE INDIAN OCCUPANCY 



the western side a flat plain tilted eastward towards the Niagara 

 River, and extending- as far as Lake Erie. On the eastern side 

 of the Niagara the plain is bounded by the escarpment of the 

 Onondaga limestone, which, between Williamsville and Akron, 

 rises to a height of from eighty to one hundred feet. This 

 escarpment is known locally as the "Ledge" and will be so re- 

 ferred to here. 



South of this escarpment the land becomes a rolling plain 

 diversified by hills of glacial origin, and rises gradually to the 

 hills on its southeastern border. 



The Ontario plain is drained by numerous small streams 

 which head at or near the "Mountain Ridge" and flow into 

 Lake Ontario, It is cut into two portions by the lower Niag- 

 ara River. 



South of the "Mountain Ridge" the plain is drained by 

 several streams which fall into the Niagara River. On the 

 eastern side of the Niagara the largest is Tonawanda Creek, a 

 considerable stream; on the western side the largest is Welland 

 River (Chippawa Creek). 



South of the "Ledge" the plain is drained by Buffalo Riv- 

 er, and its branches Cayuga and Cazenovia Creeks; also by 

 Smoke's Creek, Eighteen Mile Creek, Cattaraugus Creek and 

 several smaller streams. 



Several of the streams have cut valleys of considerable 

 depth. The great chasm of the Niagara River is cut through 

 the limestone that forms the "Mountain Ridge", the Falls of 

 Niagara and its rapids making a long portage necessary. 



The region is underlain by rocks of the upper Silurian and 

 Devonian systems but these are covered for the most part, by 

 glacial debris, which is modified in many places by the action 

 of water. The rocks crop out at two escarpments, also at the 

 foot of Lake Erie, and in the stream beds. Excepting the 

 clays of the region the only rock of importance to the Indians 

 was the chert-bearing Onondaga limestone. 



The region was well adapted to be the home of a great 

 Indian population. Its fertile plains rewarded the primitive 

 agriculturist, while its great forests invited to the chase. Its 

 streams furnished an easily obtained supply of food and afforded 

 excellent waterways which not only penetrated to all parts of 

 the region, but formed a great thoroughfare to far distant 

 nations. 



