66 



GEOIvOGY OJ" IvA SALLE COUNTY. 



to the southwest. This is No. 8. The southeast 

 branch makes a great curve to the east, sweeps around, 

 enclosing a pool, to the south and southwest, and then 

 to the west, and after some climbing- and hard work we 

 reach the foot of an overhang-ing- cliff twenty-four feet 

 in heig-hth. The only way to get past this is to 

 go back some distance to the pool, ascend the west 

 bluff, and walking about forty rods descend into the 

 upper ravine which runs almost north-south, and is a 

 beautiful one. Going back to the southwest branch 

 we find it pursuing a more direct coarse, having very 

 high, perpendicular walls and terminating in a pool 

 surrounded by cliffs 110 feet in heighth. Here are 

 some curious caves or recesses in the rock caused 

 by the uneven disintegration of the sandstone, some of 

 the beds giving way much more easily than others. No. 

 8 is one of the finest of the canons, perhaps, all in all, 

 the finest. The east arm is sometimes called from its 

 curvature the Horseshoe canon, the west arm, for 

 what reason we know not. Wild-cat canon. It is 

 about two and one-quarter miles east of Starved Rock 

 hotel. 



A little west, twenty-five rods, of No. 8 is a short 

 canon, but a very picturesque one. No. 9. 



About three-eighths of a mile beyond No. 8 is a 

 ravine of several rods in length and of much beauty, 

 but fifteen rods back from the river. This is No. 10. 



Twentv rods west of this is a short double ravine; 

 that is, two unite, and at their mouth is the big spring 

 spoken of above. This is No. 11. 



No. 12 is three-fourths of a mile farther west and 

 terminates against a wall 100 feet high. It is noted 

 for its fine springs of excellent water on the east side, 

 at the upper end. 



