"290 The American Geologist. November, 1894 
1. Problems and J'ror/ress. "Problems settled in the 
rough and ready way by rude men, absorbed in action, de- 
mand renewed attention and show themselves to be still un- 
read riddles; when men have time to think .... doubt . . . 
refuses to be cast out." In such a condition was our knowl- 
edge of the history of the Great Lakes, tributary to the St. 
Lawrence, when the writer commenced his fragmentary studies 
fifteen years ago. In these studies of the lakes some of the 
most interesting and important questions in dynamical, agri- 
cultural, and artistic geology are involved. Even if the Great 
Lakes had attracted the attention due them, their study would 
have been impracticable at an early date, at least until after 
numerous soundings had revealed their character; and until 
the railway surveys were made, for these furnish data for 
quantitative measurements. Many deep well-borings were 
needed to discover the buried valleys; and the surveys of the 
deserted shores have delimited the boundaries of the shrink- 
ing lakes, and made known the deformation of the earth's 
crust. 
From intimate familiarity with the topographic features of 
the southern states, and by comparing them with those of the 
lake region, one can easily see that there would be very little 
difference between the features of the two areas, if the super- 
ficial drift at the north were removed and the country were 
then compared with that at the south where there is no such 
mantle. Accordingly the meteoric origin of the great St. Law- 
rence basin suggests itself; but the basin has been obstructed 
and several great lakes now occupy what were once broad 
rolling plains. Before men had time to study the lake history 
we were told that the lakes were valleys of erosion, but how 
they were made was hardly a question worthy of considera- 
tion. Later, it was an equally rough and ready method to tell 
us that the basins were excavated b} T glaciers.- Their whole 
history is not yet written, but many chapters are now before 
^ls. Extracts of these will be given in their natural order 
(not in that of the discoveries), so that a short story of the 
lakes can be told. 
2. Former High Continental Elevation. As will be shown 
in the next paragraph, the basins of the lakes are more or less 
like erosion valleys. The deepest sounding of lake Ontario is 
