No. 50.] 433 
Feet above the level of the Lake inland. Feet above the level of the sea. 
C. 280 514 
B. 208 442 
A. 108 342 
Level of Lake Ontario, 234 
That an inland sea existed, subject to successive drainage, at outlets 
of different elevations, and consequent changes of level and reduction 
of extent, is rendered probable, and even certain by facts. If we glance 
at the topography of the United States, we find an immense basin, 
bounded on the north by the range of mountains extending through 
Canada to the far west, on the east by the New-England range, ex- 
tending southwesterly, by the Highlands of New-York and the Allega- 
nies to Pennsylvania ; thence west and south towards the Mississippi 
river. From our present knowledge, we cannot speak with certainty 
regarding the continuation of this barrier beyond the Mississippi, but 
it is quite probable that it extends to the base of the Rocky mountains. 
Previous to the denuding action which has produced the present wa- 
ter courses, these ranges presented a barrier to the enclosed waters of 
1,000 or 1,200 feet above the level of the ocean. It has subsequently 
been broken through by the St. Lawrence, the Susquehannah, the 
Hudson, and partially by the Mohawk at Little-Falls. It is rendered, 
quite probable, also, that the Connecticut river once formed the outlet 
of this immense sea. The vast quantity of boulders, and other trans- 
ported materials, covering the surface of Long-Island, and which can 
be traced to rocks in place in Connecticut, prove that a violent and 
powerful current has at one time flowed down the valley of this river. 
A stream of the magnitude of the St. Lawrence, Mississippi and Sus- 
quehannah united, would produce this effect, and such a stream pro- 
bably flowed down this valley, as the outlet of the great inland sea, 
till that was reduced below the level of 1,000 feet above tide water.* 
All the outlets to this great basin are of comparatively modern origin, 
and furnish no valid objection against the existence of an ancient inland 
sea, which covered a large portion of the interior of this continent. In 
* The elevation of the valley of the Connecticut, near its head waters and its junc- 
tion with the vaUey of St. Johns river, is less than 1,000 feet above the ocean, as I am 
informed by Mr. Roy, who suggested that this might have been an original outlet of 
the ancient inland sea. 
[Assembly No. 50.] 55 
