382 The American Geologist. June, 1891 
Prof. Lawsim found the highest strand. These are at two 
localities in Duluth, one on 31 1. Josephine and one near Sault 
Ste. Marie. The northward component of distance from Du- 
luth to Mount Josephine is about 65 miles. The altitude of 
the highest beach at Duluth is given as 534 feet, and that on 
Mount Josephine as 607 feet ; showing a northward rise of 
73 feet, or a little over a foot per mile. This is about the 
same as the northward rise of the Herman beach of lake 
Agassiz in 31innesota and in North Dakota. An examination 
of his table shows that out of forty-eight localities explored, 
beaches were observed in only twelve places at an altitude as 
high or higher than 390 feet above lake Superior, it seems 
improbable that the highest shore line can be as low as this 
at any point. In fact, I believe that that beach was seen 
only at the four places above mentioned, and two of these 
are within two miles of each other in the city of Duluth. I 
would therefore question the value of Prof. Lawson's table, 
so far as it tends to invite the conclusion that the higher 
beaches are not deformed. No proof is offered against the 
proposition that the highest beach rises to the north, and that 
beach is much the most important of all. In fact, the onl} 7 
instance bearing on the question shows a northward rise of 
more than a foot per mile, as just stated. 
Above strand XII,* which marks a hight of about 136 feet 
above the lake, the number of observations is much tod few to 
warrant the conclusions advanced, especially in the absence 
of definite knowledge of the altitude of the highest strand. 
It is not safe to reason, because the low beaches are substan- 
tially horizontal, that the highest one must also be horizontal. 
The Nipissing beach rises about 25 feet from 31arquette to 
Sault Ste. Marie, but between these points the highest beach 
falls about 175 feet in the same direction. Strands below the 
highest can not be safely extended by inference from place to 
place unless the points of observation are very close to each 
other, or the beach itself, like the Nipissing beach, has some 
marked and persistent peculiarity. For instance, in the table 
referred to, it is by no means sure that the strand at 436 feet 
in Duluth is the same as that at 439 feet at Grand Portage. 
On every probability except that suggested by the mere coin- 
*()[). fit., table opposite page 280. 
