ANCIENT BEACH AT PRAIRIE PORTAGE. 



259 



country ; and unless Professor Agassiz says that he had 

 his eye upon this matter along the shores of Superior, I 

 cannot avoid entertaining the expectation, that what I 

 call beaches will yet be found at a much higher level 

 there, than the 331 feet terrace, measured by Mr. (now 

 Sir William) Logan." 



I am inclined to think that another beach and ter- 

 race can be recognised at Prairie Portage, one hundred 

 and four miles by the canoe route from Lake Superior ; 

 its altitude would exceed that on the Great Dog, being 

 1485 feet above the ocean. Prairie Portage passes over 

 the height of land, but not the highest land on the route, 

 and its course lies first, south-west up a steep wooded hill, 

 without rock exposure, but composed of drift clays, sand, 

 and numerous boulders ; it then enters a narrow valley, 

 which terminates in a small lake, about five acres in area 

 and 20 feet deep, occupying a hollow among the hills on 

 the height of land. The portage path continues on in the 

 same direction until the Height of Land Lake is reached, 

 a small sheet of water, about a square mile in area, and 

 157 feet above Cold Water Lake. The utmost elevation 

 reached on the Prairie Portage is probably 190 feet 

 above Cold Water Lake or nearly 900 feet above Lake 

 Superior. Portage du Milieu, one hundred and five miles 

 from Lake Superior passes over a low sandy ridge. It is 

 869 feet above Lake Superior, or 1469 feet above the 

 sea ; this ridge may have been contemporaneous with 

 beaches on the summit of the Great Dog. 



In the valley of Lake Winnipeg the first prominent 

 ancient beach is the Big Eidge. 



Commencing east of Eed Eiver, a few miles from Lake 

 Winnipeg, this ridge pursues a south-westerly course until 

 it approaches Eed Eiver, within four miles of the Middle 

 Settlement, here it was ascertained by leveling to be 



s 2 



