p. 6

2 5

this process, continued through a succession of
years, a large amount of fine sediment will
be accumulated in the bottom of the lake.
The analogy between the deposits thus formed
and those before mentioned as found overlaying
the drift in many places camot [cannot] be doubted.

It has been shown by various facts that
these lakes have at former periods occupied much
higher levels than at present. The existence
of ancient lake beaches at various elevations,
(sometimes exceeding a hundred feet.) above the
present surface, is sufficient proof of this.
Therefore We may ^therefor expect to find these deposits
of fine sedimentary matter at places much
above the waters of the lakes, precisely as we
now actually find them.

The lake deposits may be distinguished
from the true drift by the greater uniformity
and regularity of the layers, the finer and more
uniform texture of the material of which they
are composed, and the absence of boulders and
irregular beds of gravel and sand. They
have been observed in places remote from
the present lakes, showing that the waters
were once ^even more extensively spread over the
country than [they?] are at present. They
exist in greatest force, so far as is known
to the writer, around the western extremity
of Lake Erie. In passing over the railroad
westward from Detroit, no boulders, or other
indications of drift are found on the surface
until we pass the ancient lake beach at
Ypsilanti, beyond which they begin to appear
[illegible]

2 5

this process, continued through a succession of
years, a large amount of fine sediment will
be accumulated in the bottom of the lake.
The analogy between the deposites thus formed
and those before mentioned as found overlaying
the drift in many places camot [cannot] be doubted.

It has been shown by various facts that
these lakes have at former periods occupied much
higher levels than at present. The existence
of ancient lake beaches at various elevations,
(sometimes exceeding a hundred feet.) above the
present surface, is sufficient proof of this.
Therefore We may ^therefor expect to find these deposites
of fine sedimentary matter at places much
above the waters of the lakes, precisely as we
now actually find them.

The lake deposites may be distinguished
from the true drift by the greater uniformity
and regularity of the layers, the finer and more
uniform texture of the material of which they
are composed, and the absence of boulders and
irregular beds of gravel and sand. They
have been observed in places remote from
the present lakes, showing that the waters
were once ^even more extensively spread over the
country than [they?] are at present. They
exist in greatest force, so far as is known
to the writer, around the western extremity
of Lake Erie. In passing over the railroad
westward from Detroit, no boulders, or other
indications of drift are found on the surface
until we pass the ancient lake beach at
Ypsilanti, beyond which they begin to appear
[illegible]