New-York tribune., 1842-04-08

once have stood at higher level and the c1>
have been produced bv its action instead Of that
OF the ocean. Some of you may have rode along
the Ridgc-road-as it is called-thst remarkable
bank Of sand which exists parallel. or nearly SO.
to the present borders of Lake Ontario. alta con-
siderable hight above it pefectly agree with the
general opinion respecting this: tina, it was the
ancient boundary of Lake Ontario In some parts
of it fresh water shells have been found. You can
explain the escarpement by the aid Of the action
of the lake, for it extends farther and not in the
| same direction. 1t NAV be traced ~ the Hudson
River and is not peculiar TO any locality: but may
be traced in all parts OF the globe. When the
land emerged gradually from the sea, as 1t Is now
doing, the sea would naturally create these sea-
cliffs and during the uphcava they wonld of course
become inland. In Europe proofs that limestone
rocks have been washed away are abundant. In
Greece in the Morea this is especially cons picuols.
We have there three lincs,oncs one above the
| other at various distance above the saa Along
the line you may see literal caves-worn ou, by
the action Of the wavcs.ln many of them are
fragments OF the limestone which have fallen down
| and are perforated BY the luhodomi. and you can
find among them shells of the .Strombus, and Va
rous kinds of shells. The action of the salt spray
which has also effected u sort .f chemical decom-
position, ia also easily to be observed SO com
you cannot doubt for an instant that here is a Sc
res of inland sca-clitfs and this phenomenon being
50 certnn in the Morea leads Us BY analogy toinfcr
thut these cscrpemens of the Niagara district were
| produced by similar cause.
Other proofs of this acnudation exis; in the sur
face Of every country and especially in the coal
district Of England. There in the coal field Of
Ashby de la Zouch in Lecestcrshire ysu see coal
beds pushed up 800 feet higher on one side than
they ure on the other-or there has been letting
down Of the other side. This is called by the
miners fault Youwoud OK pect to find u cores
ponding inequality in the surface YOU would think
YOU ough, to find line of hills 500 fee, high but
there is none. The whole mass has been carried
away and the surface is smooth and unbroicn
as in any other part of the country. In this way
we can that thousands of feet of earth must
! have been removed for an extent Of twenty or
thirty miles. When examine the subterrancan
structure of the country we find proofs of suck
foundations and this it may be said has occurred
in the Niagara District, either forcing up the
cliffs or letting down the lower country between
the base of the escarpment and Lake Ontario.-
But examination Of the country will satisfy YOU
that the cliffs could not have been thus produced.
The rocks are continued on the other side. There
arc first the $50 feet of Shale then 25 feet of white
limestone and then the grey and nottled lime
stone giving three great divisions and great
number of subdivisions in which the beds can be
traced and described by their orga2ic remains
IF these cliffs were produced by .fauH, as i'll Eng
land the beds would notbe found upon the opposite
side
But without dwelling longer on this tenudaion,
] must pass the more immediate subject OF the
present lecture | have endeavored 70 show that
these lines of escarpment ginally sea-clifS,
from the ocean. 1t is not disputed that there is
some change going the Falls now
There occurs, as We know occasionally falling
down of fragments of rock, as may be sccnin Goat
Island The shalc at the bottom is DESTROYED in
consequence OF the action OF the spray and frost
the limestone being thus undermined falls down
and it has been believed that in this way there has
been recession of fifty yards in about forty years
but this is now generally admitted to have been
overstated. There is at least probable recession
of about one foot in a year; though part of the
Fall may go back faster than this yetf YOU regard
tire whole rivercyen this will probably be something
ofan exaggeraton Our observations upon this point
are necessarily imperfect; and when we reflect that
fifty years ago the country was perfectly wild and
ialubited by bears, wolves and here and there u !
hunter, we shall think it surprising that We have
any observations at all, even for such period back
We have an eount Of tile Falls, givenin 1915 BY
Father HEEsEpIs a French Missionary. who gives
an exaggerated description of them, and yet one
which is lolerably correct.ZHe Published with his
travels a plate Ieprescntatlng the Fall; bat !!
greatly exaggerated its hight compared with its
width. He describes Goat Island just it is
found now. He estimates the hight of the Falls
ut doHbc what it uctualy is, which, after ell, re-
mcmberng that he did not measure them is not so
gross might appear; and any one who has wit
messed them will readily cxcuse him for having
given way TO little rxaggeratios in attempting to
describe the grandeur and magn6cence Of the
scene without the slig htest intention to deceive.
AZ you will see by this copy Of his picture he
represents a cascade as falling from the Canada
side across the other two. He says that between
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario there is II vast and
wonderful waterfall: after speaking OF this he says
that there is third cascade at the lett of the
other two, falling from West to East--lhe others
falling from South to North. He says in another
place 81 wished hundred times some had
been with me who could describe the wonders ot
this frigltful fall He several times alludcs 20
the third cascade which he says smaller than
the other two Now those, who consider that be-
cause Father HENSErlS gave the hight oi the
Falls al coo feet small value is to be attached to
his testimony respecting any part of the country
do him injustice. ,hinin j: perfectly evident that
there must have been such third casc2, e falling
from West to East, a. that to which he aludcS.
4 Danish naturalist, IL 80, came TO this couu-
try and visited the Falls of which he has also given
us description, which was published in the Gen
tleman's Magazine in l75l. He also gives view
of the Falls. In its general features his descrp-
| ton agrees we'll with that of Father Henpcpin.-
He wen. seveny-hree years sitter him, and there
was then no :hird cascade. But the point
where Father Fl had PEI this cascade he has mark
ed and says that that is TIE place where llle
water MAS forced out OF its direct course dy