360 
[Assembly 
No diluvial hills rise more than a fe^v feet above the general surface, 
the soil every where is composed in part of water-worn materials; but 
the hills, if there ever were any, have been levelled by some subsequent 
cause. 
In descending the terrace on the north, we find hills of diluvial mat- 
ter, extending from the top and sloping gradually off to the surface be- 
low. Where the northern extremeties of the hills have been excavated, 
we find large rounded masses of limestone and shale, from the rocks 
south, with masses of granite. These are all mixed together in confu- 
sion; and the masses of limestone are worn and scratched, as having 
been tumbled along with blocks of harder rock.* From these appear- 
ances, and the form of the hills, it is very evident that a current of wa- 
ter flowed from the south. But again, on the summit of this terrace 
we find masses of sandstone from the north, often wedged into fissures 
of the limestone, as if driven there by violent force. Although traces 
of opposing currents are not so apparent on the surface, their effects are 
more evident on the rock beneath. In every case where I examined the 
limestone in this county, it was worn and scratched from diluvial ac- 
tion. This appears to have been effected by a force from the south, but 
in some places there is undeniable evidence that a powerful force was 
exerted from a northern direction. The following facts corroborate this 
opinion. We often find fissures in the limestone having an east and 
west direction; the rock forming the southern edge of this fissure is 
broken up in a manner that proves a force applied on the northern side, 
for a force in any other direction could not produce the same result. 
Several extensive marshes along the lake shore are gradually bein^ 
filled with materials brought into them by streams, and deposited while 
the outlets are dammed up by beaches. Swamps on the south side of 
the ridge road contain deposits of partially decomposed vegetable matter, 
to the depth of three or four feet. When the swamps are filled with 
water, this substance expands, and the surface is elevated considerably 
above the level which it occupies when dry. When drained, and the ve- 
getation burned, the vegetable soil below takes fire and is with difficulty 
extinguished. A swamp of this character commences five miles east of 
Lewiston, extends three miles, and is about half a mile wide. The ve- 
getable soil is from one to three feet thick, and underlaid by a clay soil, 
though in some parts a deposit of calcareous marl is interposed. 
* Through the kindnesg of Mr. Barrett, engineer, of Lockport, I was enabled to procure a 
drawing, representing the appearance of these hills in connection with the mountain ridge. — 
This will appear in a future report. 
