MOUNTAIN LAKES. 
357 
generally the beds of ancient lakes wliicli have burst their 
barriers and left running currents in their place. It was shown 
by Dr. Dwight, many years ago, that this is very far from 
being universally true ; but there is no doubt that mountain 
lakes were of much more frequent occurrence in primitive 
than in modern geography, and there are many chains of such 
still existing in regions where man has yet little disturbed the 
original features of the earth. In the long valleys of the Adi¬ 
rondack range in Northern New York, and in the moun¬ 
tainous parts of Maine, eight, ten, and even more lakes and 
lakelets are sometimes found in succession, each emptying into 
the next lower pool, and so all at last into some considerable 
river. When the mountain slopes which supply these basins 
shall be stripped of their woods, the augmented swelling of 
the lakes will break down their barriers, their waters will run 
off, and the valleys will present successions of flats with rivers 
running through them, instead of chains of lakes connected by 
natural canals. 
A similar state of things seems to have existed in the an¬ 
cient geography of France. “ Nature,” says Lavergne, “ has 
not excavated on the flanks of our Alps reservoirs as magnifi¬ 
cent as those of Lombardy; she had, however, constructed 
smaller, but more numerous lakes, which the negligence of 
man has permitted to disappear. Auguste de Gasparin, 
brother of the illustrious agriculturist, demonstrated more 
than thirty years ago, in an original paper, that many natural 
dikes formerly existed in the mountain valleys, which have 
been swept away by the waters. He proposed to rebuild and 
to multiply them. This interesting suggestion has reappeared 
several times since, but has met with strong opposition from 
skilful engineers. It would, nevertheless, be well to try the 
experiment of creating artificial lakes which should fill them¬ 
selves with the water of melting snows and deluging rains, to 
be drawn out in times of drought. If this plan has able op- 
posers, it has also warm advocates. Experience alone can 
decide the question.” * 
* ficonomie Mur ale de la France , p. 289. 
