122 The American Geologist. August, 1897 
ter was nearly vertical and these layers gave it an appearance 
resembling the weather boarding of a frame house. Where 
the river turns into lake Helen there is a delta of considerable 
proportions, composed apparently entirely of sand and silt. 
It is only a little below the water surface and bears a growth 
of rushes. A well marked shore line on the east side of the 
lower end of lake Helen was not measured, but appeared to 
correspond closely in altitude with the Nipissing beach. 
On leaving lake Helen the river tlows rapidly for about a 
mile and makes a sigmoid curve, first to the east and then to 
the west. In this stretch tlie river is now cutting its banks 
rapidl}'. First from the head of the outlet to a point some 
distance below the railroad bridge it is cutting its east bank, 
then from there to the Hudson Bay Go's store it is cutting its 
west bank. At the time of my visit the river was unusually 
low, but the clear water that issued from lake Helen flowed 
past the store in a milky stream. Below the eastward curve 
and directly southward down the valley from the bridge there 
is an extensive modern delta much like that in lake Helen. 
By its great bend to the west the river avoids this and passes 
around its west side. The conditions presented by the river bed 
below lake Helen show the extreme recentness of its adjustment 
to its present level. At two higher levels in the vicinity of the 
railroad bridge there are terraces marking higher, wider chan- 
nel floors, the first next west of the present bed is 20 to 30 
feet above the present river and the next 50 to 60 feet. These 
two terraces evidently mark steps in the falling of the river 
from a higher level, apparently from the level of the Nipissing 
beach. Considering the fact that the barrier through which 
these old channels and also the present bed are cut is compos- 
ed of soft clay, sand and silt with gravels above and the fur- 
ther fact that there is no other restricted passage on the 
course of the river from lake Helen to the open expanse of 
Nipigon bay, it seems clear that the terraces are related to 
former levels of lake Superior, higher than the present, but 
lower than the Nipissing beach ; and the fresh condition of 
the present bed indicates very recent if not modern progres- 
sing relative elevation of this part of the coast. There are 
several faintly marked beaches on the slope between the 
station and the Hudson Bay Go's store. Lawson gives beach- 
