LAKE RIDGES. 
349 
remind one very strongly of the high sea beaches of pebbles and sand bounding many of our 
Atlantic bays, where, when the tide is down, he can see over an exlent of miles of almost 
level sand and mud.* 
If any thing were wanting in the external appearance of this ridge to convince the observer 
of the mode of its formation, every excavation made into it proves conclusively its origin. 
Fragments of wood, shells, etc. are found in digging wells, and cutting channels to drain the 
marshes on the southern side. I have not had an opportunity of seeing any of these shells, 
but have no doubt of their existence. In the town of Cambria, Niagara county, I was fortunate 
enough to find a recent excavation entirely across the ridge, cutting down to the level of the 
country on the south. The lowest deposit is a coarse sand or gravel, and upon this a regular 
deposit of silt and thin fragments of wood. Some of the latter, which are branches or roots 
of trees, have in parts entirely lost their woody structure, have become brittle, with a close 
grain and dark resinous shining fracture, and present, in fact, an appearance more like highly 
bituminous coal than any other substance. In some parts again the woody structure is more 
perfectly preserved, but still presents an appearance like lignite. The layer of vegetable 
matter is evenly spread, as if deposited from water, and afterwards covered with fine sand ; 
to this succeeds coarse sand and gravel. 
This example leaves no doubt of the mode of formation, if indeed any proof of the kind 
were wanting. I have been informed of numerous similar instances, though no other has 
fallen under my own observation. 
In its eastern extension in the town of Sodus, this ridge ceases to be well defined. It will 
be observed that this point comes within the range of the valleys of Cayuga and Seneca lakes; 
and I have before remarked, that all the drift hills have a direction toward these valleys. The 
present level of Seneca lake is somewhat above the Ridge road, and that of Cayuga lake is 
below it. 
At the time when the water of this lake or bay was at a higher elevation, it doubtless 
communicated with the valleys of Seneca and Cayuga lakes, and even discharged southward 
through these valleys, as indicated by the direction of the hills before alluded to. At a sub- 
sequent period there have been deep bays and marshes along the margin of Lake Ontario, 
which are still represented in the eastern part of Wayne county. These, with the water 
discharging into the lake from the higher grounds, prevented the formation of any distinct 
ridge ; and still farther east through the valley of the Oswego river, Lake Ontario, at the time 
of the formation of this ridge, must have communicated with the Cayuga lake. 
The interruptions in the continuity of the ridge, from the passage of small streams, are 
numerous throughout its whole extent. Many of these streams were doubtless discharging 
their waters into the lake at the time of the formation of this ridge, and have thus kept an open 
* To the geological reader it will require no attempt to prove this the ancient beach of Lake Ontario, or a body of water, 
perhaps an arm of the ocean, which once stood at this elevation; such occurrences are well known elsewhere ; but there are many 
persons in western New-York, and some grave critics among the number, who prefer to explain this by supposing some stupen¬ 
dous uplifting of the strata in this line from Sodus bay to Niagara river. 
