Schermerhorn—Northern and Northwestern Lakes. 279 
The water surface of Lake Saperior nearly equals the com- 
bined areas of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and 
Connecticut, Lakes Michigan and Huron together nearly equal 
the area of the State of New York, Lake Hrie the combined 
SKETCH 
of the 
NORTHERN NORTHWESTERN LAKES. 
LIMIT OF DRAINAGE AREAS ~- -- 
LINE OF DEEPEST WATER «ss eae 
‘. DEEPEST SOUNDING 
Fig-1. 
areas of New Jersey and Delaware, and Lake Ontario about 
three-fourths of the area of Maryland. The combined area of 
the lakes exceeds the area of England, Wales and Scotland. 
The drainage basin of the Great Lakes shown on fig. 1, is a 
reduction of a very careful compilation of the best authorities 
and shows at a glance the details stated in the previous table. 
It shows also that while the line of deepest water does not coin- 
cide with the middle line of the lakes, it does approximately 
coincide with the medial line of lake basin. It will be further 
observed that, with the exception of Lake Hrie, the points of 
greatest depth quite nearly coincide with the center of figure of 
each basin. This is believed to be a fact never before noticed, 
and one that may cast some light upon the geological evolution 
of the Great Lakes. 
The length of shore line of the lakes and their connecting 
rivers is about 5400 miles, or about equal to the coast line from 
AM. Jour. Sct.—TuHirp SERIES, VoL. XX XIII, No. 196.—ApRIL, 1887. 
18 . 
