The floods in Lake Ontario are generally the highest by about two feet, and for the obvious reason, that it receives the successive accumulations of all the other lakes, from the Niagara to the head of the St. Louis river.

From the year 1814, we can speak with some degree of confidence of the rise and fall of these waters. During that year, the upper lakes were full. This was the case in 1815, with the central and lower lakes. In 1819 and '20, the water is said to have been at an unusually low ebb in the same lakes.

The difference in the time of the apparent rise between the upper and lower division, may be accounted for on the principle that the largest bodies of water are on the upper level, and as these are discharged, the lower division would be comparatively high, while the upper would be reduced to low water mark.

From 1820, the water again began to rise, and continued to increase until 1823; since which time, A. E. Hathon, Esqr. civil engineer of Detroit, has given the subject particular attention. His first observations were taken at the old hydraulic works, at the time when the pipes were being laid for furnishing the city with water from the Detroit river; he has since transferred it to the top of the water table of the tower, at the new hydraulic works. The surface of the river at the time of the transfer, August 21, 1838, was 3.21 feet below that base this will serve as a reference for the future.

It appears from his journal, that the water was low in the spring of 1830, having fallen about two feet since 1828. In June following, it had again risen two feet, or to the level of 1828. From that time, its rise was gradual, until June, 1836, at which time it was found to have attained the height of one foot and eight inches. In June, 1837, it rose seven inches; in June, 1838, nine inches, and on the 21st August following, three inches; making the rise three feet three inches since June, 1830, and five feet three inches since March in the same year.

Table Showing the Rise of water from March, 1830, to August,

Some allowance ought to be made for the sudden rise of two feet from March to June, as from observation, it is believed that winter has the effect of producing a partial decrease.

On the twenty-first November, 1838, the water had fallen

twelve and a quarter inches, and on the second February, 1839, three feet eight inches.

Many conclude that the present high flood is greater than has been known for at least a century, from the fact, that orchards have been killed along the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, in consequence of the lands being overflowed. In some instances, forest trees have been destroyed by the overflowing water, and upon counting the concentric circles in sections obtained from their trunks, they were found to exceed a hundred.

In order to estimate the enormous accumulations of water during the time of the highest flood, and which is discharged through the river, it will only be necessary to refer to the table where five and a quarter feet appears to be the maximum of the rise. A transverse section of the river taken opposite Detroit, where it is contracted to 52.80 of a mile, of this depth contains 18,018 cubic feet; and allowing the current a velocity of one mile an hour, which is known to be less than its ordinary current, there would be discharged 95,135,040 cubic feet per hour, or 1,585,558 cubic feet per minute, an amount sufficient to supply fifty-eight canals of the dimensions of the Clinton and Kalamazoo,* or thirty five of the Grand Erie canal, and more than sixteen times the amount contained in the Cedar river and Sycamore creek, Ingham county, Deer creek and Grand river, Eaton county, Shiawassee river, Livingston county, and Rabbit river, Allegan county.†

We are not prepared to say that there are sixteen times as many rivers, (as those above enumerated,) at the north, which have changed their course, and discharge in directions contrary to their former ones, thus filling the basin of Lake Superior, and causing the periodical rise of the lakes; nor is it reasonable to suppose that rivers, discharging so great a quantity, can be found in that region. We must, therefore, look for the cause to the quantity of rain which has fallen, and to the melting of the snow in spring, upon the immense surface drained by these lakes.

Rivers.

Streams receiving the appellation of rivers in the state are numerous. This name, however, is applied to none unless of sufficient magnitude to be considered worthy of meandering on both sides; accordingly, instructions to that effect have been given by the Surveyor General to his deputies, in the prosecution of the government surveys. The Grand, Muskego and St. Joseph, will bear a comparison in length with many of the western, and no small number of the eastern rivers, of the first and

*27,313 cubic feet is required per minute, for this canal. [See report of J. Hurd, Engineer.]

These rivers discharge in the aggregate, 98,846 cubic feet per minute, at the places designated. [J. Hurd's report.]

second class. Their width and depth are not in proportion to their length, arising from the fact of their uniform descent. This characteristic will apply to all the other streams on the peninsula. They are unbroken by cataracts, and but little obstructed by rapids. The number in the surveyed part, and discharging into the lakes, is twenty-of these the Grand river is the largest.

This river rises in Hillsdale and the south part of Jackson counties, in a cluster of more than fifty lakes, that interlock with the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph, each emptying into Lake Michigan on the west, and with the Raisin, which empties into Lake Erie, on the east. These, with the Little St. Joseph, St. Joseph of Maumee, and Tiffins or Bean creek, running south, have their sources on the highest table land in the southern half of the peninsula, being an elevation of six hundred and forty-six feet above Lake Erie. From its source in a northerly direction to Jacksonburgh, is twenty-five miles; its level here being three hundred and twenty-five feet above Lake Michigan. From Jacksonburgh, it is fifty-three miles to Red Cedar river, thirty to Looking-glass river, and eighteen to the Maple river. At this point its elevation is fifty-six feet above the lake, where it takes a westerly course of fifty miles to Grand rapids, and forty more to its mouth, making its entire length two hundred and sixteen miles. It conveys the surplus water of 2,949,120 square acres. There are many other large tributaries besides those above mentioned, which it receives from the north-among these are the Flat and Rogue rivers, no inconsiderable streams. Its width the first forty miles from its mouth is 800 feet, and for fifty miles further, to Lyons, on the Maple, it is 500 feet. In spring, floods raise the river about ten feet, overflowing and enriching its valley, which is densely covered with a heavy and beautiful growth of forest

trees.

The St. Joseph has for its source more than twenty-five lakes, and as before mentioned, has its origin in Hillsdale and Branch counties; it runs a northerly course, afterwards passing to the southwest, and crossing the south boundary of the state, enters Indiana; again curving northwardly, it re-enters this state and falls into Lake Michigan, receiving many large tributaries, among which are the Paw Paw, the Dowagiac, Elkhart, Prairie, Pigeon and Fawn rivers.

From its mouth to the line of Indiana, the distance is fortyeight and a half miles, at a level of sixty-eight and a half feet; after running forty-three miles in Indiana, and at an elevation of ninety-nine feet, it recrosses the state line; the distance to Three rivers is twenty-three and three-fourth miles, rising thirty-five feet, thence twenty-six and one-fourth miles to Sturgeon lake, and twenty and a half to Union city, making the whole distance one hundred and sixty miles from its mouth to this place, and its

height above Lake Michigan two hundred and eighty-five feet; the entire length of the river is two hundred and eight miles, its width is nine hundred feet at its mouth, and carries the surplus waters of 2,327,040 square acres.

The Kalamazoo iver drains nearly all the remainder of the surface on the western declivity, (situated between the Grand and St. Joseph rivers above described,) or about 1,382,400 square acres. Its tributaries are not many or large; its average width is about two hundred feet; its source is in a group of twenty lakes. Farwell's lake is six feet above the source of Grand river, though hardly forty rods distant, and so near do the rivers rising on this plateau approach each other, that the waters flowing east, west and south, might easily be made to mingle at this point. Its course is more direct than either of the others mentioned.

The distance from its mouth to Allegan is thirty-eight miles, with a current of three miles an hour; thence twenty-five miles to Kalamazoo, where it is one hundred and forty-eight feet above the lake; thence to Albion, at the Forks, thirteen miles, rising nine feet, making a distance of one hundred and sixteen miles, and at an elevation of three hundred and forty-five feet. From the Forks to its source is thirty-four miles; its entire length is therefore one hundred and fifty miles.

The rivers discharging on the eastern coast of the state, within the surveyed district, have a less volume, and may be described together as having similar features, or if there be an exception, it is in the length. The length of all is abridged, however, by having a space to traverse only of about forty to sixty miles; the dividing ridge being so much nearer the eastern than the western side of the peninsula.

The River Raisin heads in a series of fifty lakes, the nearest of which is but a few rods from the head of Grand river. Its whole length may be computed at 85 miles.

The head waters of the western branches of the Huron also rise near those of Grand river, while its castern sources inosculate with the Clinton. This river and the Clinton have their sources in by far the greatest number of lakes; they are no less than 200, and some of them large, embraced in the area of Oakland, Livingston and Washtenaw counties.

The Saginaw river receives the discharged waters of the Cass, Flint, Shiawassee, and Tittabawassa rivers, twenty-five miles from its mouth. These rivers with their tributaries descend from every point of the compass-the Tittaba wassa from an unsurveyed district in the north; the Shiawassee from the western declivity of the summit in Oakland county in the south; the Flint and Cass from the summit of the same swell, in Lapeer and Sanilac counties, on the east and southeast. Their average length is ninety miles.

United States Survey.

These are progressing with rapidity, and if continued during the next two years, the whole peninsula will have been surveyed. The highest point to which they have been carried is town 26 north, embracing 180 townships. The facilities are reported by the surveyors, to be as favorable as those of any other new country, and equal to those of earlier surveys, for carrying forward their work; maps of these surveys have been collected, in part, for the future use of the geological department. An inspection of them exhibits, in the general outlines, a similarity to the southern portion of the state; the variety and number of small lakes, the great length of the principal streams, with an undulating surface, are the principal features.

It is understood that contracts will be made for commencing on the upper peninsula, at the opening of next season, and it is probable that the standard lines will be run, and the completion of the eastern half, from Chocolate river on lake Superior to the head of Green Bay, during the same time.

The lands heretofore held in reserve, and which are by treaty to be sold, have been subdivided. These reserves are among the best locations in the state. The avails, after deducting the surveys and other expenses, go to the Indians.

Little will be left after the survey of the state shall have been completed, requiring adjustment. The simple rectangular method adopted by the general government, first, in subdividing the country into townships of six miles square, and these again into sections of one mile, give a character of mathematical accuracy which is excelled by no other system; the width and course of all streams crossing these lines, and their distance from the nearest corner, are noted, as well as the entrance into and distance across marshes and swamps; it will therefore require but little attention to draft the streams not meandered, as well as the marshes, in the interior of the sections, by personal examination, with sufficient accuracy for correct topographical maps.

Levels.

Information of the most valuable kind has been obtained from the board of commissioners of internal improvement; copies of the surveys of the central and northern railroads have been furnished, and by a resolution which passed that board in 1837, they will continue to furnish copies of all the surveys connected with the public works; these, with the surveys of the different railroad and canal companies, will leave but few points, the elevation or depression of which may not be known, either in reference to the lakes or the ocean. Vertical sections connected with correct lineal drawings, are appreciated by the geologist, and have an interest with him as great as with the engineer.