Observations on the South Side of Ontario Valley. 57 



Into the westernmost one a stream of water runs from the table- 

 land above, and here is no bad minature of the Niagara Falls, 

 except that the solid lime rock, projecting far over the underlay 

 of brittle slate, leaves more space behind the sheet of water. 

 The middle one is the most remarkable. It cuts farther back be- 

 yond the general line of ending, and approaches nearest the Ton- 

 awanta creek — has no stream falling into the south end of it, but 

 is to be seen as the valleys were, " e'er moving spirit bade the 



The junction of these three streams was found to be more than 

 200 feet below the level of Lake Erie, cut down through the sev- 

 eral strata of lime, slate, gray and red sandstone, all exposed to 

 view in the precipitous sides of the chasm. 



From these observations I have been led to conjecture, that the 

 cataract of Niagara fu st began at the head of a deep indent, which 

 reaches south to within 70 or 80 chains of where the falls now 

 are. This length of 70 chains, forms the pool or basin into which 

 the water is shot from the great pitch, and is much deeper than 

 the falls are high. The head or south end of this chasm was pro- 

 bably once not as much below Erie level as the 18 mile creek one 

 is, the rocky bottom over which the water now runs from this 

 basin, being about on the same level with the 18 mile creek. 



This capacious basin, into which the cataract pours, is some- 

 thing over 240 feet deep, and the surface of the bottom very uni- 

 form, all the way from the cascade to the north edge of the basin, 

 (or as near said places as the persons sounding dare approach,) 

 and which bottom maybe supposed to be a flooring of solid granite- 



