68 Observations on the South Side of Ontario Valley. 



From the north side of this basin to their present place, I sup- 

 pose the falls to have receded, worn by the action of the water and 

 by frosts ; and cannot believe that they began in the general line 

 of ending of the great shell lime stratum near Lewiston. 



In viewing the river from Lewiston upwards, the whole distance 

 is very much of a similar character to within a mile of the falls : 

 precipitous shores of rock, nearly parallel with each other, the 

 water dashing over a rough bottom, with a descent generally of 

 about 20 feet in a mile. A short distance at the whirlpool, is the 

 only exception to the above features : here the river is deep, and 

 two or three times the common width. 



Owing to the easy disintegration of some of the rocks, the ra- 

 vine is wider in some places than others. About a mile above the 

 whirlpool, the ravine through which this vast body of water dash- 

 es along, is so narrow, that a man standing on the brink of the 



stream. If the falls were once at this place, why is no trace left 

 behind ? Or will it bo said that a pool 210 feet deep was here, 

 and that the rocks falling from the shores filled it up again? The 

 narrowness of the chasm forbids this supposition. 



Immediately below the whirlpool, the ravine grows narrower as 

 you descend towards the water, and here this mighty stream 

 glides smoothly, though swiftly, through a channel of but little 

 above 100 yards wide. The firm rocks which form either shore, 

 are evidently still in place. The cataract, if it ever fell here, fell 

 far and on a very narrow space. 



A cross section of the chasm and stream here, would be some- 

 thing like this. 



' The smoothness of the rocks on each side would indicate that 

 when the channel was less deep than at present, the water flowed 

 above them, and the surface of the stream was two or three times 

 its present width. 



