Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-12-07
Wc'rsn, 70. Nor. ~
FOR THE CHRONICLE.
LAKE ERIE

LAKE ERIE.
Dr.. Mitchell, who never peas an uce,ass
sentence, and whose literary labcurs h,ve
gained him great reputation in Europe AMI
America, IS OF opinion, that the lakes of this
vast cham were originally salt lie is Led
10 TINS opnion, as nearly as 4 can recolle,.t
by the following facts-that the Sturgeon
which Is an inhabitant OF the ocean and ney
or visits fresh water, but to east its roe i
found IN lake Erie, TO which il can now have
no access from the sea-that the Herrn.s ,o,i
Sod, which are constantly resident in salt
waters, are also caught in the same l,Le
where they have probably become naturalizeJ
ny the gradual hcshening of its waters-that
the rocks at Niagara are partly of a species
oil stone, which is supposed by naturaiists 10
ne formed Dy an ANIMAL decomposition and
partly are mere connections OF the shells of o.
ceanic iish. These vast bodies of water. he
suppoSes have become fresh bv the reception Of.
so many rivers, and by pouring cut their own
waters by i channel through which ther. is no
reiiuent tide. As corroburatinr EXAMPLES he
cites two lakes i'll Mexico living side bv side.
one without an outlet and sater than The o.
ceai' 'he 9tner with an outlet, and entirely
the earliest writers was salt, bv rolling into
Tue Archipelago, an unremuneratcd current.
has become merely brackish, end in process of
time vii! doubtless be fresh
The Hon. Dc Witt Clinton i'm an historical
Grafton, which reflects the highest honor ON its
author, and on the institution to which IL WIS
addressed states that the ridge road extend
ing through the state of New-York, runs near
~ parallel with lake Ontario and is co;npose,,
OF materials similar to, and Changing cliarac-
ter with the neighboring beach of the lake.
aud afterwards examining the ANTIQUITIES Of
the state or New-f YORK, particularly the fortifi-
cations of unknown ORIGIN which are scattered
through 1t, he says that noae of these forts
have ever been found between the ridge before
mentioned and the lake-whcnce ne sleduccs
Two conclusions, the one-tlat the Ontario
ridge road was once the beach of that lake thp
otber-that the Notifications whic, excite so
much speculation in thiswestcrn country were
erected before the waters receded 10 their pre-
sent bed.
These recollcctons have been excited bv he
Inc sheNn coralne lately picked no on lake
Erie.-It cells are six sided some of them fill
ca with a SilcioUs stone of milky hue, nearly
approaching Chaicedony, and some of them
drusy, with six sided chrystals of ouartz,-
ms is complete petrefaction--but on the
ellis OF this lake, near eighteen mile creek. in
the state on New-Tork, are found vast mum
nefs OF Coraiilnes at this description, together
WIN Madrepore, and common coral and an the
detached rocks, some remains of 'fubi pora.
musica, and others, resembling the stone lily in
their lrtlcuiatOnS.
IhGoriginal structure and chemical charac-
ter OF these are undcStruYed, and in MANY MIA
ceS upon the southern coast OF this LAKE. the
pebbles OF the beach upon examination. will be
found TO consist of muscles, sceiops, &c. the
shehs unchanged, but the cavities filled with
limestone-Aii these fish are inhabitants OF salt
water, and ofsalt water only; and ar ciah-
teen mile creek they adhere to the rocks. as
II they had grown there-how came they
there, unless tse theory of DR.. Mitchell be
correct,
Who has ever travelled from Pittsburgh
10 Beaver on the Ohio, aud not noticed the
excavations in the rocks above, him? How
were they produced The assures of rocks
may run III different directions, as in Ba-
Gates, perpendicular, and in others nearly
horizontal, but they are always linear in form
caVefns are OF all shapes, but these cavities all
are nearly oval, their transverse diameters "
ing parallel with the course of the river.
is there any other way of accounting, for this
than by surprising them TO have been worn by
the attrition ofpebbles urged by the stream,
which, 10 have effected this, must have run in
some places 50 feet above the bed il now occu-
pies' Whether or not this was the fact. /
leave TO the decision of gcologists-But. with
respect to Lake Erie, there can hardly exist "A
doubt III the mind OF one who has examined the
subject, that 1T was once salt and that i'm all
probability it then covered the prairies near
Huron.