PASSAGE OF THE OHIO CANAL AND LAKE ERIE TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA, FROM
THE 21ST TO THE 30TH OF JUNE
Voyage on the Ohio Canal--Chillicothe--Circleville--Licking
Summit, the Highest Part of the Canal--Hebron--Fall
of the Canal at Akron--Cleveland--Lake Erie; its
Navigation--Buffalo--The Seneca Indians--The Six
Nations--Niagara River--The Village of Niagara--The Falls of
Niagara--Divine Worship of the Tuscarora Indians.
Portsmouth is rather an inconsiderable town, with low houses, and
broad, unpaved streets, built in the angle of the confluence of the
Sciotto with the Ohio. Here begins the Ohio Canal, which connects that
river with Lake Erie.[150] This fine canal is navigated by numerous
boats, which are built in the same style as the keel-boats of the
Missouri, but have many convenient small chambers; they are from
seventy-seven to eighty feet in length, fourteen in breadth, and are
drawn by two horses, on which the driver is seated. These Ohio Canal
boats are not so well arranged and fitted up as those on the Erie
Canal, where they have distinct boats for passengers and goods, which
is not here the case. They are also slower, because fewer horses are
employed. In the middle of the boat is the long space for the goods; in
front two small cabins; and at the back is the saloon or dining room.
At the sides of the cabins are cushioned seats, on which, as well as on
the floor, the beds are arranged for the night. In the other cabins are
berths for the ladies.
On the afternoon of the day on which we arrived we went on board a
canal boat, where I met with an agreeable, well-informed, travelling
companion in Dr. Pitcher, an attentive observer of nature, and
military physician of Fort Gibson, on the River Orkansa, who was
accompanied by his family.[151] We set out at six o'clock in the
afternoon, with very fine weather. The banks of the canal were covered
with wood, especially sugar maples. Before night we came to some {486}
sluices, and a mill with seventy saws for cutting freestone, which is
found in the neighbourhood, into blocks for building, tombstones, &c.
On the 21st we passed through very fine forests of sugar maples and
beeches, where numerous baltimores were flying about. The country is
very fertile; it was formerly clothed with wood; and the detached
block-houses of the settlers are constantly met with. On many spots
of the surrounding hills the may-apple (_Podophyllum_) grew in
abundance; others were covered with an undergrowth of the papaw tree:
the kingfisher was frequently seen on the banks of the canal. Near
three combined sluices is a feeder, which connects the canal with the
Sciotto. There is a weir in the river, in the deep waters of which it
is said there are a very great number of soft-shell tortoises. About
a league and a half from Chillicothe, after passing Indian Creek, the
canal is carried over a stream called Paint Creek. This aqueduct is
broad, has three arches, and two stone pillars, over which the water
of the canal flows; and on each side of the aqueduct is a floored way,
with a railing for the horses and foot passengers. Towards evening we
arrived at Chillicothe, a small town, with 2000 or 3000 inhabitants,
in the wild and fertile valley, which is evidently in a state of rapid
improvement.[152] There are about 150 Germans here, who are in general
well spoken of. The breeding of cattle is the chief occupation of the
inhabitants of this part of the country, and they export oxen and
swine. They have, however, begun likewise to follow agriculture, and
now export a small quantity of wheat.
When the first planters settled here, they found two Indian tribes--the
Shawnees of the Americans, or Chavenons of the French, and the
Wyandots, who had been driven hither from the north.[153] On the spot
where the town now stands were formerly several conical Indian barrows,
in one of which were found some bones, potsherds, and beads, which were
made of hard wood. Another barrow was composed, at the upper part, of
stones; it contained bones, and two copper bracelets, which appeared to
be beaten or hammered, not cast. A third barrow, overgrown with trees,
which still exists, and is situated on a rather lofty wooded eminence,
had at the summit a mixture of sand and stones, and then clay, under
which were ashes mixed with bones, which crumbled away when exposed to
the air.[154]
An extremely violent thunder-storm, with torrents of rain, surprised
us when we were leaving Chillicothe, at nine o'clock in the evening,
where an obliging German, of the name of Bauman, had given us
hospitable entertainment. We proceeded during the night, and early in
the morning of the 22nd passed several sluices, and then traversed
a low, wooded country on the Sciotto, which is here full of small
verdant islands, covered with trees. Fine lofty forest trees adorned
the country; the elder bushes were in blossom; and the red-headed
woodpecker and the kingfisher everywhere displayed their beautiful
plumage. We now came to the considerable town of Circleville, which
has many brick buildings, and must have increased greatly since {487}
it was visited by Duke Bernhard of Saxe Weimar.[155] The duke gives a
detailed description of the remarkable ancient walls, in the interior
of which this place was built; but they have been greatly demolished
since that time. The court-house stands in the centre of the Indian
circle wall, and the greater part of the town still lies within it.
This wall enclosed a space of seventeen acres and three quarters, but
the greater part of it has now disappeared. Withoutside the western
extremity lies a hill, from whose summit an admirable view of the town,
&c., is obtained. Here, too, we see another deplorable instance of
the love of destruction which animates the Americans; for, instead of
preserving these interesting ancient remains with the greatest care,
they have erected buildings exactly on the site of the levelled walls,
respecting the former state and opening of which nothing now remains,
except some scanty, superficial accounts given by Attwater and other
American writers.[156]
After we left Circleville we saw, on the canal, a great number of
shells (_Unio_), of a greenish colour, with darker stripes, which are
very frequent here; most of them were floating without the animal,
which was, however, found dead in some of them. The canal traverses a
country agreeably diversified with wood and meadows, which was formerly
covered with uninterrupted primeval forests. We saw, likewise, some
low, marshy land, overgrown with rushes and reeds, upon which the
beautiful oriole (_Psaroc phoeniceus_), with its splendid plumage,
was sitting. This fine bird lives chiefly in the marshes and by the
water-side, where it builds its nest. Sandpipers, and other birds of
that kind, animated the low meadows; and among the bushes I saw the
rice-bird.
After traversing a wooded country, with remarkably fine sugar maples
and walnut trees, we came to Walnut Creek, which flows through a shady
forest. Near the little town, Lockbourn, which was founded only three
years ago, there are eight sluices close together, where the Columbia
feeder issues from the canal, which rises at this place about 100
feet, and then runs along the eminence.[157] The forest is not so lofty
on the summit, and the tops of many of the trees are withered. Thus we
traversed by water the fine forest of the state of Ohio, and, as it
was Sunday, saw the inhabitants in their best dresses. It was a most
agreeable journey, during which we sat quite at our ease on the deck.
We had left the Sciotto at Lockbourn, passed Waterloo, Winchester,
Havensport, New Baltimore, and Millersport, and on the morning of the
23rd reached the highest point over which the canal has to pass.[158]
This point is called Licking Summit, because it is in Licking township,
in the county of Muskingum, which contains the towns of Irville and
Nashport. From Portsmouth to the highest point of the canal there are
fifty-one sluices.[159] At sunrise we reached Hebron, a town commenced
in November, 1825, in Union township, on the great national road from
Zanesville to Columbus, which commences at Hagerstown, comes from
Cumberland, on the Potomac, and passes through the states of Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinois.[160] Many workmen were employed upon the road,
and a quantity of stones was brought, on the canal, in large square
flat boats. About nine o'clock we passed the first three sluices
downwards, {488} for the canal gradually descends from Licking Summit
to Lake Erie. We came to Licking River, and soon after to the little
town of Newark, through which the canal passes. In the year 1830 Newark
had 1000 inhabitants, but has now considerably increased. This town has
broad streets, a large market-place, and several new churches.[161] All
the plantations and fields in this part of the country have fences, on
which the red-headed woodpecker is frequently seen. Seven miles from
Newark the canal joins Licking River, a very pretty little stream,
which flows through a picturesque rocky valley, overgrown with pines
and other trees. The rocks, which appear to consist of grauwacke, have
a singular stratification, with caverns in which the cattle seek the
protection of the shade from the sultry sun. The passage of about a
mile or a mile and a half through this beautiful wooded chain of hills
is very romantic. It is succeeded by open spots with plantations, where
the canal leaves the Licking, which it soon afterwards approaches more
closely. In the hollow between the two waters many lofty trees were
growing, especially planes and poplars, partly entwined with lovely
climbers. It is sixteen miles from Newark to Nashport, a small place,
where some Indian barrows still exist. The bank of the canal is covered
with verbascum in flower, which was introduced from Europe. Ironstone
and coal are found in the vicinity. On the banks there is always some
wood, but not so tall or luxuriant as on and near the Ohio. Sometimes
we came to picturesque spots, then to sluices, and to a great many
bridges, under which the boats have to pass: sometimes the canal runs
in a straight line through beech forests. About twenty-three miles from
Newark it is carried, at a considerable height, over the Tomaha Creek.
We then came to the village of Frazeysburg, a place with detached
wooden houses, where many witch-hazel bushes grow on the side of the
canal, the branches of which were formerly used for divination, like
those of the hazel bush in Europe; for this superstition was brought by
the emigrants across the Atlantic Ocean.[162]
During the night we passed the little villages of Webbsport and Roscoe,
and at daybreak came to Evansburg, and then to New-comers Town, a
village which has now only seven or eight houses.[163] The country
round is pleasant and diversified. In the canal a yellow-striped snake
swam rapidly past us. We had seen the black snake and the water snake
the day previous. Near the village of Port Washington, the valley was
broad and wooded;[164] having passed which, we came to Gnadenhütten,
a village consisting of about seven houses, originally founded by the
Moravians, who have, however, abandoned it. The present inhabitants are
chiefly of German origin; they speak German, and among them were some
newly arrived German settlers.[165] In this country, near Trenton and
Newcastle, are considerable coal mines.
At Lockport, a small village in Tuscarora county, there are beautiful
prospects from the river; the banks are clothed with forests, the
stagnant branches are covered with nymphæa, and other water plants,
and immense plains stand in the valleys. At Dover, a neat little town,
in an agreeable situation, the canal comes very near the river; over
this is a large covered bridge, in the {489} erection, much timber has
been needlessly expended.[166] Not far from Dover is Zoar, a pretty
settlement of Würtemberg Separatists, at which we arrived in the cool
of the evening. A man named Bäumler, who is advanced in years, but
said to possess considerable talents, is the chief of this colony;
it is in Tuscarora County, on the east bank of the river of the same
name.[167] In the year 1833, this colony had sixty very neat buildings,
all roofed with new red tiles, which are not common in America, and
which looked remarkably well in the green valley. At a distance we
observed considerable buildings, and the inn in the form of a church.
The Ohio Gazetteer says, that the settlement was originally founded
on a piece of land of 4,000 acres, which the company purchased in
1810, and the greater part of which is now well cultivated.[168]
The Separatists possess, besides, 1500 or 2000 acres of land in the
vicinity, as well as some vineyards, which are said to produce very
good wine. The situation of Zoar, at the bottom of the broad level
valley, with luxuriant fields and lofty trees, at a short distance from
the river, is extremely pleasant. The inhabitants are said to be very
industrious, and to have several manufactories, and I regret that I was
unable to make myself better acquainted with this interesting place. A
long wooden bridge is thrown across the canal and the river: close by
is an inn, built by the inhabitants, and called the Zoar Canal Hotel.
Just as I was at the spot, the shepherd drove a numerous flock of sheep
over the bridge, and answered my questions in genuine Swabian German.
His entire dress and equipments were quite in the German fashion: a
shepherd's crook, a broad leather bandolier, ornamented with brass
figures, a flat broad-brimmed hat, and a large grey coat; a costume
very uncommon in America. His dogs, too, were exceedingly careful in
keeping the flock together. During the night we passed the villages of
Bolivar and Bethlehem, and at daybreak, on the 25th of June, were at
Massillon, a picturesque spot, in Stark County, which was founded in
1826, and has now 100 houses and 500 inhabitants.[169]
At eight o'clock we reached Fulton, a village with some neat houses
in Stark County. This whole country was manifestly once covered with
a primeval forest. The cat-bird was common on the banks; we observed
turtles, bull-frogs, and tree-frogs, and often saw snakes swimming
rapidly across the canal. There were most charming wood scenes on
the Tuscarora, where a dwarf-rose grew in abundance, and had a most
pleasing appearance with its large flowers. About noon we reached the
town of New Portage, where the traders used formerly to convey the goods
which were intended for the trade with the Indians, from one river to
the other. Soon afterwards we came to a marshy place, with a forest of
larches, which shed their leaves in the winter time: it grows round a
small lake, through which the canal passes. A bridge is built over the
whole length of the lake, for the horses which tow the canal boats. A
little further on, where the canal expands into a kind of small lake,
is Akron, a considerable town in a remarkable situation.[170] It was
founded in 1825 in Portage County, and has already an extensive trade,
many neat wooden houses, stores, manufactories, an iron foundry, and
an establishment where, {490} by means of a wheel, bedsteads and other
articles of furniture are turned. At Akron the valley begins to decline
rapidly: the canal passes through the middle of the town, and, in order
to bring the boats down from a considerable, steep, rocky eminence,
ten or twelve sluices are erected one above the other. The vicinity
is one of the most curious spots on the course of the canal, with
scattered buildings, a busy population, much water, and fine forests.
On reaching the foot of the eminence, you glide along the beautiful
dark brown mirror of the canal, through luxuriant verdure, where wood
and meadows alternate, and the tall tulip, walnut, and sassafras trees
reflect their graceful forms in the unruffled surface of the water. The
sluices, of which we counted twenty-one in a space of two miles and a
half, were at greater intervals from each other as we approached the
River Cayahoga, which the canal follows to Lake Erie.[171]
The next morning we were still five miles from Lake Erie, a distance
which we accomplished at about ten o'clock, when we reached the little
town of Cleveland. The sea-like expanse of the large Lake Erie was
very striking when emerging from the wooded valleys, and the sight of
it reminded me of my approaching voyage to my native country. The dark
blue lake stretches to the far horizon, like the ocean; the eye is
attracted by the white sails and the smoke of the steam-boats; while
the finest weather and the purest atmosphere favoured the illusion.
Cleveland is a large, rapidly improving town, with several thousand
inhabitants, full of life, trade, and business.[172] It is situated
in Cayahoga or Cuyahoga County, and is built partly on a high ridge,
partly on the river below. The outskirts are scattered, but the
principal streets are regular. It contains many large buildings,
several churches, a school or academy, a prison, good inns, and
numerous shops and stores; the trade is very considerable in
consequence of the junction of the great lakes with the Ohio and the
Mississippi. Numbers of canal boats are assembled here, and also the
two-masted schooners which navigate the lake. Several large, commodious
steamers, generally full of passengers, come and depart daily. The
Cayahoga flows through the lower part of the town; both sides of the
mouth of the river are lined with wood; and on the right bank there is
a long mole, with a lighthouse at the extremity. A second lighthouse is
built a little to the right, upon an eminence; and in the far distance,
on the right hand, the coast is lost in the misty horizon, and, on the
left, disappears amid thick forests.
We met with many Germans at Cleveland, especially newly-arrived
emigrants, and also an obliging young fellow-countryman, whom I
had seen at Pittsburg, and who had obtained a good situation in
a mercantile house in this place. Several steam-boats arrived and
departed, bound to Detroit, and, at length, the Oliver Newbery came in,
on its way to Buffalo. I immediately availed myself of the opportunity
to visit that town, and set out from Cleveland at noon. On leaving
the mouth of the Cayahoga there is an uninterrupted view of the vast
expanse of Lake Erie, the splendid bluish-green waters of which, like
those of all the great Canadian lakes, are exactly of the same colour
as those of Switzerland. The dark brown waters of the Cayahoga are
strongly contrasted {491} to a considerable distance with those of
the lake.[173] We steered along the south bank, where we had a fine
prospect of Cleveland, and we were favoured by the most charming
weather, which showed the lake to great advantage: in a storm the waves
often run very high, and prove dangerous to navigation. The southern or
American shore is not much elevated; the northern forms the boundary
of Canada, the English possessions in North America. The south coast
has no lofty eminences, and is entirely covered with forests. The
steamer touched at Fairport, Ashtabula, and Salem, where great numbers
of bats were hovering over the entrance into the port. After leaving
Salem our engine got into disorder; and on the following morning, the
27th, we reached Dunkirk, a small place, built in the Dutch fashion,
of which there is no mention in the Ohio Gazetteer of 1833.[174] A
lighthouse stands on a neighbouring point of land. At eleven o'clock
we came in sight of Buffalo, lying at the end of the lake, where we
saw a race between two large steam-boats. As we approached the town,
where we landed at twelve o'clock, a great number of steamers presented
a very animated scene. Buffalo has been rapidly improving of late,
and in a few years will be a considerable and important place. It has
at present about 1000 houses, and 12,000 inhabitants, and promises
to become one of the chief commercial ports of the country. The Erie
Canal, which connects the great lakes with the eastern seaports of the
Union, commences here. In the summer months, the neighbouring Falls of
Niagara attract a great number of strangers, all of whom visit Buffalo.
The streets of this town are, for the most part, regular and broad,
crossing each other at right angles, and contain many handsome brick
buildings, large inns, nine or ten churches and chapels, and good shops
and magazines of every kind. In the lower part of the town, the water
of the lake and the canal has been conducted into the streets, forming
small harbours, where numbers of ships lie in perfect security. The
town extends along the slope, and on the ridge of a gentle eminence;
and from one of the highest points there is a striking prospect of the
bright mirror of Lake Erie, which vanishes in the misty distance, and
on the land side, of the Niagara River, and its opposite or Canadian
bank. Buffalo was burnt by the English in 1814; it is said that only
one house was left standing. The town was not immediately rebuilt,
and it is only since the construction of the fine Erie Canal that it
has risen so rapidly. When we consider the shortness of the time, the
sudden improvement of the town, which is now of so much importance,
really seems incredible; and perhaps there is no other country in the
world where such a sudden rise would be possible.[175] They are now
laying down iron railroads, one of which is to lead to Niagara. There
are at present above thirty steam-boats for the communication between
Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Niagara, and the number increases
every year. The object, however, which most attracted me was the
village of the Seneca Indians, in the vicinity of Buffalo. They possess
a piece of land, which begins a mile and a half southeast of the town.
Here they live in small, neat, wooden houses, which are surrounded by
their fields {492} and plantations, in a wooded country, and the pretty
little church is in the centre of this Indian colony. The Indians who
are settled here are employed in agriculture, the breeding of cattle
and horses; and, like other country people, they go to the town with
their wagons. Their dress is nearly the same as that of the Whites.
Both the men and women frequently wear round felt hats: the men have,
in general, a red girdle under their large blue upper coat, and the
women wrap themselves in blankets. I found the physiognomy of most
of these people quite genuine and characteristically Indian, as well
as the brown colour, and their smooth, coal-black hair; some of them
do not much differ in this respect from the Missouri tribes. A good
many of them speak English, but some are quite ignorant of it; and, in
their communications with each other, all use the old Indian dialect.
It is said that there were at first 900 Indians settled here, mostly
Senecas, mixed with a few Onondagos and Cayugas; but their numbers have
decreased. All these tribes spoke the same language. They received
from the government 49,000 acres of very fine fertile land. They have
a clergyman and a school. The inn is kept by a half-breed Indian, who,
however, did not appear to value himself on his Indian descent, but
rather desired to be considered a white man.[176]
The Senecas are one of the six nations who, in former times, were
the enemies of the French in Canada, and, with the exception of
the Oneidas, assisted the English, in the war of 1775, against the
Americans. The works of Charlevoix, Lahontan, and Colden, give
information respecting the history of these once powerful, warlike
people, who dwelt on the borders of the great lakes. The six allied
nations were the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagos, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, and
Mohawks; the latter came from the south, and were admitted at a later
period into the union of the five tribes.[177]
We visited some of these families, who showed us their bibles and
prayer books in the Indian language; we bought specimens of their work,
adorned with porcupine and other dyed quills, and likewise bows and
arrows, which they still esteem. Deeply regretting the destruction of
the remarkable aboriginal inhabitants of the east of North America,
I returned in the evening to Buffalo, where our baggage and the live
animals were embarked under the superintendence of Dreidoppel, on board
an Erie Canal boat, for Albany, a distance of 363 miles. I myself took
a place in the stage for Niagara, and we left Buffalo on the 28th of
June. The road lies along the Erie Canal, which is here parallel with
the River Niagara, passes through the village of Blackrock, and, near
the hamlet of Tonawanta, crosses the creek of that name, which falls,
at no great distance, into the river.[178]
The River Niagara issues from the east end of Lake Erie, forming the
channel which connects it with Lake Ontario, the level of which is
lower. The length of the course of the Niagara, from Lake Erie to
Lake Ontario, is 36½ miles, and its fall in this distance amounts to
322 feet. It is the frontier between Canada and the United States,
and forms, between the two great lakes, the celebrated waterfall. Its
surface is adorned with several islands, the largest of which, called
{493} Grand Island, was sold in 1815, by the Seneca Indians, to the
state of New York, for 1000 dollars, and an annuity of 500 dollars.
This island is said to be twelve miles long, and from two to seven
broad: it is in the vicinity of Lake Erie, and the river is afterwards
pretty free from islands till you come near the falls, where there
are several small ones. The water of the Niagara has the splendid
green colour of the Swiss lakes, and is nearly twice as broad as the
Rhine; on the opposite bank is the village of Chippeway, where, on
the 5th of July, 1814, there was an action, in which the English were
defeated.[179]
There is a considerable population along the road from Tonawanta to
the falls of Niagara, which are twenty-two miles from Buffalo. Towards
noon we came to the village of Niagara, which we entered at the side
furthest from the river, and put up at a very good inn. It is a small
village close to the falls, forming two irregular unpaved streets, but
containing some good houses.[180] The banks present a very picturesque
diversity, with pines and other trees, bearing a general resemblance to
the scenery of Switzerland. Opposite to our inn was the house of a man
named Hooker, who acts as guide to travellers visiting the falls, and
has a small collection of natural curiosities, and specimens of Indian
manufacture.
The grand, sublime scene, which we now visited, has been described
by a vast number of travellers--Larochefaucault-Liancourt, Weld,
Volney,[181] and many others since their time;[182] so that all
accounts must be in some measure mere repetitions; but, as the
diversity of such descriptions can but tend to give a more correct view
of the subject, a few remarks may not be considered irrelevant here.
At a short distance from the village of Niagara, the river, which,
according to Volney, is 1200 feet in breadth, begins to flow in an
uneven rocky bed, with a rapid descent, and its whole surface is, in
many places, in violent commotion, covered with white foam, and, as it
were, boiling, in consequence of its breaking in high waves against the
masses of rock. Portions of these rocks, the larger of which deserve
the name of islands, are covered with pines, some green, others in
a decayed state: of these rocky islets there are fifteen above the
falls. The pines being frequently broken and snapped, and here and
there piled up in the water, greatly contribute to heighten the effect
of the savage grandeur and sublimity of the scene. The roaring of the
cataract is heard at a considerable distance,[183] and lofty columns
of mist and vapour ascend into the air. The stranger is conducted from
the village to the above-mentioned rapid, and then proceeds, by a
long, strongly-built wooden bridge over the end of the rapid, to Bath
Island, where there are warm and cold baths (_a_, in the subjoined
woodcut).[184] A considerable paper-mill has {494} been erected here,
and a toll for passing the bridge is paid, once for all, for the whole
time you may remain here. The toll-keeper sells refreshments and
various curiosities of the country, minerals, Indian rarities, and the
like.
A second bridge leads from Bath Island to Goat Island,[185] which is
about seventy acres in extent, entirely covered with a beautiful forest
of sugar maples, beeches, hornbeams, elms, birches, &c., beneath which
the asarabaca, may-apple, and various other plants, are growing; none
of them were, however, in flower. The shores of this island are shaded
by old pines and very large white cedars, such as we should in vain
look for in Europe, and many fine shrubs grow on the banks. There were
formerly a great number of Virginian deer in this beautiful forest,
but they grew so familiar, and became so troublesome by running after
strangers, that they were removed. The blueheaded jay and the Hudson's
Bay squirrel are numerous. From the bridge which leads to Goat Island
there is a convenient path, on the right hand, which goes along the
shore through the wood; and, after proceeding a short distance, the
stranger suddenly finds himself on the rather steep declivity,
immediately above the fall of the right or southern arm of the river,
which is called the American branch. The sight is striking, and much
grander than all the descriptions I had read of it led me to conceive.
The broad expanse of bright green water falls perpendicularly 144 to
150 feet into the abyss below, which is entirely concealed by the
vapour, the whole torrent of falling water being completely dissolved
into foam and mist in the midway of its descent. Below the fall, and
before its surface is quite calm, it recovers its green colour, which
is, of course, totally lost in the rapidity of its descent. To make
my description more clear, I subjoin a little plan of the cataracts
drawn by Mr. George Catlin,[186] and published in Featherstonehaugh's
"Essay on the Ancient Drainage of North America, and the Origin of the
Cataract of Niagara," in the Monthly American Journal of Geology, Vol.
I., July, 1831.
[Illustration: Plan of Niagara Falls]
[Illustration: Harpoon for dolphins]
The southern or American part of the fall, _c_, is divided above by a
narrow rocky island, _f_, to which a bridge has been thrown. This rocky
island is closely overgrown with white cedar {495} (_Arbor vitæ_),
the tall, thick, whitish trunks of which, with their stiff, extended
boughs, scarcely leave space for the shrubs that grow between them,
in which the cedar bird (_Bombycilla cedrorum_) builds its nest. The
northern chatterer or silk tail, of which the Prince of Musignano[187]
has given a plate in his "Supplement to Wilson's Ornithology," is
likewise found here in small companies during the winter. After we
had admired the lesser, or American part of the fall, we returned to
the top of Goat Island, again following the path which now runs along
the eastern edge of the island through the dark shade of the forest,
and, having gone between 500 and 600 paces, came in sight of the
second larger fall, which is called the English or Horse-shoe Fall,
_b_, which is formed by the left, or the northern arm of the river.
This splendid waterfall occupies the whole breadth of the bed of the
river, forming, towards the Canadian shore, a receding angle, where
the masses of water from both sides of the Horse-shoe meeting each
other, fall, with a thundering noise, in one conjoined body, 150 feet
perpendicular height. The clouds of vapour that rise from this cataract
are far more considerable than those of the American fall. They cover
and veil the neighbouring rocky, wooded banks, by their rising columns,
in which the sun forms the most beautiful rainbows. In the angle of the
fall, where the waters, pouring from three several sides, meet with a
fearful concussion, and, dissolving into snow-white spray, are lost
to the eye in vapour, they rage and boil with tremendous fury. This
is the focus from whence rise the clouds of steam and vapour which
involve the circumjacent country to a great distance in rain and mist,
and, according to the direction of the wind, assume manifold and most
fantastic forms.
In order to approach nearer to the sublime scene, a staircase has
been contrived on the steep bank at the place where we now stood, and
where a small house, with seats, _m_, has been built; and below, at
_h_, a wooden tower is erected, with a winding stair, from the upper
gallery of which, as well as from windows made here and there at the
sides, there is a view of the wondrous scene, gradually changing as
you ascend. Here we were struck mute at the overwhelming sight of this
abyss of waters.
Beautiful plants grow among the boulders, the rocks on the banks of the
river, such as the gueldar rose, the white cedar, the _Rubus odoratus_,
now flowering in all its loveliness, the lime, maple, and sumach. By
proceeding from the waterfall, below the bank of Goat Island, along
the river, and round the point of the island, we come to the cauldron
of the American fall, and can almost go under the precipitous mass of
waters, at the risk of encountering the penetrating rain and wind. In
the same manner one may likewise get under the Horse-shoe Fall, and
both are points of view indescribably interesting. We now ascended
the wooden stair, and came to the small house, from whence, in the
gloomy shade of the forest, we enjoyed a view of the surpassing scene
from above. The walls are here completely covered with names and
initials of visitants from all quarters of the globe. After resting
here, the delighted spectator is conducted, by another stair, to the
river below, and thence, across a long wooden bridge, to a high stone
tower, built on the {496} rock, in the water. This tower is erected
immediately over the angle of the Horse-shoe abyss; it is ascended
by a stair, and the visitor is suddenly transported into an entirely
new scene of stupendous magnificence. The eye is lost in the depth of
the foaming whirlpool, the light spray of which envelops the admiring
spectator, whose ear is stunned with the roaring sound of the cataract.
No language can describe the grandeur and sublime impression of the
scene, from which we could with difficulty tear ourselves. We remained
long lost in admiration while contemplating the unique phenomenon;
and, returning to our inn, made an excursion, some time afterwards,
to the other side of the river. For this purpose we descended, by a
covered wooden staircase, from the village of Niagara to the south
side of the American fall, and came to the bank of the river below the
falls. Though not more than 300 or 400 paces beneath them, the water
is but very slightly agitated, and we were soon ferried over to the
Canadian bank. Here we had the falls directly before us, and enjoyed
an excellent view of both. From this spot Mr. Bodmer took his general
view of this sublime scene, which is the best that I have yet met with,
and is, in every respect, perfectly faithful to nature.[188] On the
eminence above there is what is here called a confectionary, in which
there are some tolerably good representations of the falls by Megarey.
From this place we went to an isolated house, in which an Englishman
has placed a zoological cabinet, which contains a fine collection of
the birds of Canada. It occupies two stories of the house, and is shown
for money. There are many interesting specimens, but I met with only
a few that I could purchase. At a short distance from this house is
a small projection from the high bank, called Table Rock, from which
there is an incomparable view of the Horse-shoe Fall, which has been
described by many persons.[189] At a neighbouring dwelling the curious
traveller is provided with a covering of oiled silk, or oiled cloth,
to enable him, without getting wet, to descend a high flight of steps
which leads him under the rushing mass of waters of the Canadian fall.
The next day being Sunday, I took the opportunity to go and see divine
service performed among the Tuscarora Indians, who are settled about
eight miles from the Falls of Niagara. The road to it leads towards
Lake Ontario, along the high banks of the beautiful Niagara River,
alternating with woods and fields, where the inhabitants live dispersed
in their wooden houses. The forests consist of furs, Weymouth pines,
oaks, chestnuts (the latter in full bloom), sassafras, and wild cherry
trees, the fruit of which was not yet ripe. The European fruit trees
were loaded with fruit, and appeared not to have suffered from the
frost, but the Italian poplar does not seem to thrive in this climate.
About three miles from Niagara, the view, looking back on the falls,
was very striking; the clouds of spray and vapour rose at this time
very high, and were most splendidly illumined by the sun's rays. A mile
and a half further on we looked down into a wild ravine, 150 or 200
feet, overgrown with pines and other trees, under which the river forms
a rapid, covered with white foam. This rapid is called the Devil's
Hole; but the descriptions {497} given of it are greatly exaggerated,
for in Europe, in Switzerland for instance, there are much grander
scenes of this kind. A small English corps here suffered a defeat in
the American war, being driven by the Americans and their Indian allies
into this ravine.[190]
When I had passed the wood and came again into the fields, where the
scattered houses of the Indians, built in the European style, are
situated, I saw before me their small white church, and had a near
and charming view of the wooded rocky shores of the splendid green
Ontario.[191] The scenery about that lake and the Niagara, and that
on the banks of the Hudson, is, unquestionably, the finest that I saw
in North America. The road leads along the edge of the valley of the
Niagara, and affords a wide view into the distant plain beyond Lake
Ontario. A gloomy forest extends, without interruption, to the distant
horizon, and in the foreground there is a dark inlet, where the end of
the lake is hidden by lofty trees. Volney very accurately describes
this scene as "Une vêritable mer de forêts, parsemées de quelque fermes
et villages, et de nappes d'eau des lacs Iroquois."
I drove up to the church, which was crowded with Indians; the clergyman
was already in the pulpit. As he did not understand the language of the
Tuscaroras, he preached in English, and the schoolmaster at his side
interpreted all he said.[192] When the sermon was ended and prayers
read, during which all the Indians remained sitting, the interpreter
began to sing, and the congregation, in which there were only three
or four Whites, joined in a very good tone, the men generally singing
a second part. The clergyman, a young man, who had not been long in
this parish, gave me some account of his congregation, which consisted
of about 300 souls. Another portion of the Tuscaroras is settled, I
think, on Grand River.[193] Very few understand English--they are
Presbyterians, and live on the whole like the Senecas, whom they
resemble in external appearance, and whose language is the same. There
is less originality among them than among the Senecas at Buffalo. Their
features, colour, and hair seem to be more changed by their intercourse
with the Whites; yet I saw, now and then, a characteristic physiognomy,
especially among the women. They are of middle stature, and their dress
is like that of the Senecas at Buffalo. They were allied with the
English in the American war.
After a stay of several days, the greater part of which was passed on
the banks of the great falls, lost in admiration of their sublimity, I
took the stage to Tonawanta, intending to return to New York by Lake
Erie and the River Hudson.[194]
FOOTNOTES:
[150] For the Ohio and Erie Canal, see Bullock's _Sketch_, in our
volume xix, p. 151, note 22.--ED.
[151] Dr. Zina Pitcher (1797-1872) was a graduate (1822) of Middlebury
College, Vermont. He entered the army (1822) as assistant surgeon,
becoming surgeon with rank of major in 1832. In 1836 he resigned from
the army, and began practice in Detroit, where he became a prominent
citizen. In 1842 and 1844-47 he was mayor of the city, held the office
of county (1843) and city physician (1848-51), and served upon the
board of health. Dr. Pitcher was interested in education and was one
of the first regents of the University of Michigan (1837-51), giving
much time and thought to the establishment of that institution,
especially its medical school. Upon retiring from the board of regents,
he was made professor emeritus of medicine. Dr. Pitcher's literary
interests were considerable; he was librarian of the first Michigan
Historical Society, editor of the _Peninsular Journal of Medicine_, and
contributor to Schoolcraft's work on Indians, in whose therapeutics
he took much interest. His home in Detroit was the seat of widespread
hospitality.
For Fort Gibson, on the Arkansas, see Gregg's _Commerce of the
Prairies_, in our volume xx, p. 105, note 73.--ED.
[152] Indian Creek is a small, eastward-flowing affluent of the Scioto,
in Ross County, Ohio. See, for Paint Creek, our volume ix, p. 118,
note 56; Chillicothe is noted on p. 186, note 35, of F. A. Michaux's
_Travels_, our volume iii.--ED.
[153] Chillicothe was a Shawnee term for town or village. This tribe
had in the Scioto Valley several dwelling-places thus named; compare
Thwaites and Kellogg, _Dunmore's War_ (Wisconsin Historical Society,
1905), p. 292, note 7; see also Croghan's _Journals_, in our volume i,
p. 134, note 102.
For the Wyandot, consult Weiser's _Journal_, our volume i, p. 29, note
26. The habitat of the Wyandot was in northwest Ohio and southeast
Michigan, but on their hunting excursions ranged to the Shawnee
territory.--ED.
[154] Consult, on the mounds of Ohio, a recent account by Gerard Fowke,
_Archæological History of Ohio_ (Columbus, 1902); see also Mrs Cyrus
Thomas, "Bibliography of Earthworks of Ohio," in _Ohio Archæological
and Historical Quarterly_, i (1887-88).--ED.
[155] For the work in which Duke of Saxe-Weimar describes his travels
in the United States, see Wyeth's _Oregon_, in our volume xxi, p. 71,
note 47.
Circleville was so named from an ancient earthwork found upon the
site. Near this place were the chief villages of the Shawnee, also the
Pickaway Plains, well known in pioneer history, where Lord Dunmore
halted his army and made the treaty of Camp Charlotte (see _Dunmore's
War_, cited in note 153 above, pp. 302, 386). Circleville was selected
(1810) as the seat of the newly-erected county of Pickaway; in 1814 it
was incorporated as a town, and in 1853 became a city. The population
in 1900 was about seven thousand.--ED.
[156] Caleb Atwater was Massachusetts born (1778) and in 1816
emigrated to Ohio, where he lived chiefly at Circleville, until
his death in 1867. His services to the state were in many lines,
political, educational, and legal. During a term in the legislature,
he laid the foundation of the public school system of the state,
and furthered public improvements, especially canals. He was much
interested in antiquities, and a corresponding member for Ohio of
the American Antiquarian Society. Under their auspices he published
the work on "Western Antiquities" to which Maximilian here refers.
Atwater therein gives a description and ground plan of the Circleville
circumvallations; see American Antiquarian Society _Transactions_
(Worcester, Massachusetts, 1820), i, pp. 109-267. This article was
republished in _Writings of Caleb Atwater_ (Columbus, Ohio, 1833).--ED.
[157] Soon after leaving Circleville, the Ohio and Erie Canal crosses
Scioto River, and follows its eastern bank as far as Lockbourne, on the
southern boundary of Franklin County, passing Walnut Creek--an eastern
affluent of the Scioto--in Pickaway County. Lockbourne was laid out in
1831, by Colonel Kilbourne, who compounded its title from the eight
canal locks at this site, and the last syllable of his own name. The
spur of the canal which runs hence to Columbus (not Columbia) is eleven
miles in length. The first canal-boat to make the trip from Chillicothe
to Columbus passed over the route in 1831. Its arrival at the state
capital was the occasion of a celebration in honor of the completion of
the enterprise.
Columbus was laid out (1812) on the east bank of the Scioto, opposite
the older town of Franklinton, by four proprietors who offered to the
legislature inducements, which were accepted, to make this the state
capital. The place was incorporated in 1816, and made a borough in
1834.--ED.
[158] At Lockbourne the canal leaves the valley of the Scioto,
and, turning north across Franklin and Fairfield counties, follows
the valley of Walnut Creek until near Licking Valley. All the
places mentioned by Maximilian were platted about the time of the
determination of the canal route.
Canal Winchester, in southeastern Franklin County, was laid out (1826
or 1827) by a family named Dove, from Winchester, Virginia. Waterloo
and Millersport are in Fairfield County, and even now are small
villages.--ED.
[159] Licking Summit, the highest point on the canal, 413 feet above
the level of Portsmouth, is on the watershed between the Scioto and
Muskingum systems. At this place excavation for the canal was begun
July 4, 1825, when Governor Clinton, of New York, threw out the
first spadeful of earth, as one of the features of a celebration in
anticipation of the building of the canal. Near this point, also, was
constructed the Licking reservoir, with an area of three thousand
acres, to supply water for the lower reaches of the canal.--ED.
[160] For the westward extension of the National, or Cumberland Road,
see Woods's _English Prairie_, in our volume x, p. 327, note 76.
Hebron, in Union Township, Licking County, when laid out (1827) by
John Smith, at the junction of the Ohio Canal and the National Road,
appeared destined to a considerable future. With the building of
railways, however, its commercial importance declined, the population
in 1900 being but 455.--ED.
[161] For Newark, now chief city of Licking County, with a population
(1900) of 18,157, see Flint's _Letters_, in our volume ix, p. 305, note
153.--ED.
[162] Nashport and Frazeysburg, both in Muskingum County, are canal
towns which have acquired no particular importance.--ED.
[163] These are all canal towns, the first three in Coshocton County,
of which the first-named is entirely extinct. Roscoe was first named
Caldersburg, and laid out in 1816; when the canal came, the name was
changed in honor of the English author.
Evansburg was laid out (1830) by Isaac Evans, a pioneer and veteran of
the War of 1812-15.
New Comerstown, in Tuscarawas County, is interesting as the site of an
early Delaware Indian town, called by Heckewelder, Gekelemukpechink.
When the Delawares, in the middle of the eighteenth century, removed
from the Allegheny to the Tuscarawas Valley, their principal chief,
Netawatwes (the Newcomer), built his village near this site, which was
the centre of tribal activity until the Revolutionary War. The American
town was not laid out until the time of the canal building (1827).--ED.
[164] Port Washington, in Salem Township, Tuscarawas County, was
originally called Salisbury. It was laid out as a canal town and
incorporated in 1827. Abram Garfield, father of the future president,
contracted for the work on the canal between New Comerstown and Port
Washington.--ED.
[165] The Moravian missions to the Indians were begun about 1745, in
eastern Pennsylvania. In 1772, at the special request of their Delaware
converts, the mission was removed to the Tuscarawas Valley, and three
towns founded therein--Salem, Shoenbrunn, and Gnadenhütten. The latter
was the scene of the massacre (1782) of the Christian Indians by a
party of backwoods militia. See Theodore Roosevelt, _Winning of the
West_ (New York, 1889), ii, pp. 142-167; and Thwaites, _Withers's
Border Warfare_ (Cincinnati, 1895), pp. 313-329. For sixteen years
after this atrocity, the village of Gnadenhütten was deserted. About
1798 it was restored by the Moravians, and the following year white
settlers began to move in. The first emigrants were Pennsylvania
Germans; later, many Germans came direct from Europe to this region,
which has still a considerable Teutonic element in its population. The
town of Gnadenhütten was incorporated in 1824.--ED.
[166] Lockport, usually called Blake's Mills, was platted (1829) by two
German proprietors above Lock No. 13.
Dover was principally settled (1807) by Pennsylvania Germans. When the
canal passed through, Canal Dover became the official name of the town.
At one time the village aspired to be county seat.--ED.
[167] Because of persecution in their native land, the Würtemberg
Separatists left their homes in several parties. One of these, led by
George Rapp, founded the New Harmony and Economy settlement; another,
under the leadership of Joseph M. Bäumler, came to Philadelphia in
1817, and by December of that year had begun a settlement on the
Tuscarawas, which they named Zoar. Not until 1819 was the community
system established, and then because of the exigencies of the situation
and their position on the frontier, rather than doctrinaire theory.
The numbers of the settlement were largely increased in 1832, when a
second band arrived from Würtemberg. The leader of the colony, Joseph
Bäumler (later spelled Bimeler), was of obscure peasant origin, but a
man of ability and enterprise. Under his care the community prospered
until his death in 1852. Celibacy was at first imposed as a rule of
the community, but later was rescinded. In 1898, by mutual consent
of the members, the community dissolved, the majority still living
at the village of Zoar, which in 1900 possessed but two hundred
and ninety inhabitants. For further details, consult W. A. Hinds,
_American Communities_ (Chicago, 1902), pp. 91-123; and E. O. Randall,
"Separatist Society of Zoar," in _Ohio Archæological and Historical
Quarterly_, viii, pp. 1-100.--ED.
[168] _The Ohio Gazetteer, or Topographical Dictionary_, was first
compiled by John Kilbourn, of Columbus, Ohio. The edition used by
Maximilian was probably the eleventh issue, published at Columbus in
1833. The statement therein is, that the land was purchased in 1818
(not 1810). The details of the purchase in Bäumler's name were arranged
in 1817; but the title did not pass until the next year, and it was the
spring of 1818 before the main body of the Zoar colonists arrived from
Philadelphia, where they had been charitably entertained during the
preceding winter by the Society of Friends.--ED.
[169] Bolivar, in the northern portion of Tuscarawas County, owed its
existence to the Ohio Canal. The town was laid out in 1825 by two
proprietors from Canton, Ohio, who at first christened it Kelleysville,
for one of the canal commissioners. He, however, declined the honor,
whereupon the name of the South American emancipator was chosen.
Between the villages of Zoar and Bolivar, Maximilian passed the site
of the former Fort Laurens, erected during the Revolution (1778) as
an outpost for the protection of the Western frontiers. In February
and March, 1779, the garrison, under command of Colonel John Gibson,
sustained a protracted siege by a motley host of Wyandot and Mingo
warriors, led by a few British soldiers. After the raising of the
siege, Fort Laurens was found too remote from the frontier to be
provisioned without undue risk; whereupon, in the autumn of 1779, the
post was abandoned.
The township of Bethlehem, Stark County, was so named for the original
home in Pennsylvania of the Moravian missionaries, one of whom,
Christian Frederick Post, built (1761) within its precincts the first
cabin in the present state of Ohio (see his _Journals_, our volume i).
The village of Bethlehem, on the northern boundary of the township, was
laid out about 1806 by Jonathan W. Condy, who intended to found there
a religious society of Swedenborgians, upon the model of the Moravian
settlement in Pennsylvania. The plan failed, and the village only
revived upon the building of the canal.
Massillon (a thriving place of about 12,000 inhabitants) was a canal
town, platted after the route had been arranged. Upon the opening of
the line thence to Akron, a celebration was held at the new town of
Massillon, which had been named in honor of a famous French theologian
of the seventeenth century.--ED.
[170] Canal Fulton was laid out in 1826 by two residents of Canton,
Ohio. Its population in 1900 was 1,172.
New Portage is the southern terminus of the once well-known portage
path from the Cuyahoga to the Tuscarawas, which furnished in early
Indian history the most practicable route from Lake Erie to the Ohio.
The road was about eight miles long, and has recently been retraced;
consult A. B. Hulbert, _Red-Men's Roads_ (Columbus, 1900), p. 33. This
path also furnished a boundary between Indian Territory and that of the
United States, as agreed upon by the treaties of Fort McIntosh (1785),
Fort Harmar (1789), and Greenville (1795). The American town of New
Portage was expected to be the future metropolis of the region, but
declined with the growth of Akron.
The marshy place described by Maximilian is Summit Lake, which later,
connected with surrounding basins, became the reservoir, partly
natural, partly artificial, for the canal upon the watershed between
Lake Erie and the Ohio.
Akron (named from a Greek word meaning elevation) was a canal town;
when founded it was in Portage County, but later was made the seat of
Summit County, erected in 1840. Although founded in 1825, the town was
not incorporated until 1836; it was erected into a city in 1865, and by
1900 had attained a population of 42,728.--ED.
[171] The descent from the summit of the portage to Lake Erie is steep,
and requires a stairway of forty locks (sluices). This was the first
portion of the work to be completed. The first boat from Akron to
Cleveland went through July 4, 1827, amid popular rejoicings.
For Cuyahoga River and its early history, see Croghan's _Journals_, in
our volume i, p. 107, note 72.--ED.
[172] Cleveland, the metropolis of the Western Reserve, was first
surveyed in 1796, when the original log-cabin was built, and the site
named in honor of Moses Cleaveland, agent for the Connecticut Land
Company, then engaged in exploiting the reserve. During the early
years, its growth was extremely slow, the total population in 1800
being but seven. After the War of 1812-15, settlers began to arrive
with more frequency, the village being incorporated in 1814. The era of
prosperity opened in Cleveland with the period of canal transportation.
The inauguration of the Erie Canal (1825) gave impetus to the place,
which increased with rapidity when made the terminus of the Erie and
Ohio Canal. Cleveland was incorporated as a city in 1836; in 1900 it
was the largest borough in Ohio, and the seventh city in size in the
United States.--ED.
[173] Lake Erie is 290 miles in length, and sixty-eight miles at its
greatest breadth. Its depth is said nowhere to exceed 100 or 120
feet.--MAXIMILIAN.
[174] For the early history of this region, see Croghan's _Journals_,
in our volume i, pp. 103-106, with accompanying notes.
Fairport, in Lake County, Ohio, was laid out in 1812 by Samuel
Huntington and four partners at the mouth of Grand River, three miles
from the earlier city of Painesville. The first villages were platted
south of Lake Erie, on higher ground, the lake ports being neglected
until commerce increased. Fairport has a good harbor, and had (1900) a
population of 2,073.
Ashtabula, on a creek of the same name, gives its title to a county.
The town is two miles from the mouth of the creek, and was incorporated
in 1827.
Salem Crossroads was the early name for the village of Brocton, in
Chautauqua County, New York. The first settlement was made about 1805.
The nearest harbor, which is not a good roadstead, lies below Van Buren
Point.
Dunkirk would not appear in the Ohio Gazetteer, being a town in New
York State, first settled (1805) at the mouth of Canadaway Creek. In
1809 the harbor was known as Chadwick's Bay, from the first permanent
settler on the coast. The name Dunkirk was given about 1817, in honor
of the famous French port.--ED.
[175] For the early history of Buffalo, see Buttrick's _Voyages_, in
our volume viii, p. 42, note 4; upon its destruction in the raid of
1814, see Evans's _Tour_, in our volume viii, p. 182, note 40; also
William Dorsheimer, "Buffalo during the War of 1812," in Buffalo
Historical Society _Publications_, i, pp. 185-210; and S. C. Becker,
_Sketches of Early Buffalo_ (Buffalo, 1904), pp. 118-132.--ED.
[176] For another account of this village, see Evans's _Tour_, in
our volume viii, p. 183, note 41; on the mission, see H. R. Howland,
"Seneca Mission at Buffalo Creek," in Buffalo Historical Society
_Publications_, vi, pp. 125-164.--ED.
[177] For the authorities mentioned in this paragraph, consult J.
Long's _Voyages_, in our volume ii, p. 28, note 3, and p. 41, note
10; also Nuttall's _Journal_, our volume xiii, p. 116, note 81. The
Tuscarora, not the Mohawk, was the tribe migrating from the South.
Concerning this migration, see our volume ii, p. 44, note 12.--ED.
[178] For the history of Black Rock, see Buttrick's _Voyages_, in our
volume viii, p. 46, note 9.
Tonawanda Creek rises in Wyoming County, New York, flows north through
Genesee, and, turning west, forms the boundary between Niagara and Erie
counties, entering Niagara River opposite Grand Island. The name in the
Seneca language means "rapids," or "riffles." The site of the town of
Tonawanda was first settled in 1808; three years later, a block-house
was built, in anticipation of an Indian attack, nevertheless, during
the War of 1812-15, the hamlet was burned, and little was done to
rebuild the place until 1823, when, upon prospect of the near approach
of the Erie Canal, the town was platted. The village growth was slow,
however, and the place was not incorporated until 1854. It had in
1900 a population of 7,421, and was a manufacturing village of some
importance.--ED.
[179] Grand Island, with a cultivable area of 17,381 acres, was in
dispute between the United States and Canada until the boundary
commission of 1819 decided that the main current of Niagara River lay
west of the island. Previously, however (1815), New York had made
the purchase from the Seneca, referred to by Maximilian; the price
aggregated about $11,000. In 1819 squatters were driven off by order of
the state, and in 1824 the island was surveyed and opened for purchase.
A contemplated Jewish settlement, to be called Ararat, came to nought.
The island was erected into a separate township of Erie County in 1852.
For a brief notice of the battle of Chippewa, see Evans's _Tour_, in
our volume viii, p. 175, note 33.--ED.
[180] The first permanent settler on the American side of the falls was
Stedman, one of a company of traders whom Sir William Johnson permitted
(about 1760) to build a log cabin at the place. This was maintained,
chiefly for the portage business, until 1795, when Stedman removed
to the Canadian side; after the British evacuation (1796), the land
lay unoccupied until 1805, when it was offered for sale, one of the
first purchasers being Augustus Porter, a prominent citizen of Niagara
village. He removed his family to this place in 1806, and built a mill
and blacksmith's shop, obtaining also the portage lease for several
years. After the destruction by the British (1813), settlement began
again; the village was incorporated in 1847, and in 1892 the city of
Niagara Falls, which now has a population of about 20,000.--ED.
[181] For the American travels of Count Chassebœuf de Volney, consult
Flint's _Letters_, in our volume ix, p. 237, note 121.
François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucault-Liancourt
(1747-1827), travelled in America during his exile, which was
occasioned by the French Revolution, in whose early stages he had taken
a prominent part. He was a friend to republican institutions, and his
_Travels_ are replete with just and favorable accounts of American life
and customs. His work appeared first in French, in 1798; the English
edition was entitled, _Travels through the United States, the Country
of the Iroquois, and Upper Canada in 1795-97_ (London, 1799).
Isaac Weld was an Irishman (1774-1856) whose American travels were
undertaken in order to induce the immigration of his people to the
United States. His excellent and accurate work, _Travels through the
States of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada
(1795-97)_, (London, 1799), was much quoted and ran through several
editions, including a translation into French.--ED.
[182] For other descriptions of Niagara Falls included in our series,
see Evans's _Tour_, volume viii, pp. 174-179; Flint's _Letters_, volume
ix, pp. 315-321; and Bullock's _Sketch_, volume xix, pp. 142-149.--ED.
[183] Mrs. Trollope, page 203, considers that the reason why the noise
of the falls is not very great, is because they are not confined
between high rocks, and I agree with her. Though the colossal
Falls of Niagara may, doubtless, be called some of the greatest in
the known world, yet Captain Back, in his "Journey to the Frozen
Ocean," page 451, affirms, that the cataract, called by him "Parry's
Fall," surpasses the former, and all others, in "splendour of
effect."--MAXIMILIAN.
[184] See p. 169, for plan of Niagara Falls.--ED.
[185] Goat Island was purchased (1816) from the state by Augustus
Porter (for whom see Evans's _Tour_, in our volume viii, p. 178, note
35), who pastured a flock of goats thereon. About 1816 the first bridge
was built, which was carried away during the succeeding winter. That
built in 1818 endured until 1856, when it was replaced by an iron
structure.--ED.
[186] For Catlin, see our volume xxii, p. 32, note 9.--ED.
[187] See our volume xxii, p. 39, note 15, for Charles Bonaparte,
prince of Musignano and Canino.--ED.
[188] See Plate 72, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv.--ED.
[189] For the fall of this interesting eminence, see Bullock's
_Sketch_, in our volume xix, p. 145, and note 13.--ED.
[190] The Devil's Hole is a small ravine about two miles below
Suspension Bridge, on the American side of Niagara River. The defeat
here mentioned did not occur during the Revolution, as Maximilian
intimates, but at the time of Pontiac's Conspiracy (1763). A company of
traders, crossing by the Lewiston-Fort Schlosser portage, was ambushed
by a band of Seneca, and driven over the precipice. Reinforcements of
troops from Fort Niagara met with a similar fate, and fell into an
ambush, when all but eight were slain. The relics of this massacre were
long in evidence in the vicinity.--ED.
[191] Lake Ontario is twice as deep as Lake Erie, and Volney considered
it to be the crater of a volcano.--MAXIMILIAN.
[192] After their migration from North Carolina, the Tuscarora lived
upon Oneida lands until the period of the American Revolution. When
General John Sullivan raided the Iroquois territory (1779) he was
ordered to spare the neutral Tuscarora; the British sympathizers among
them fled to the English Fort Niagara, and after the war the majority
of the tribe settled upon a tract a mile square, given them by the
Seneca, two miles east of the fort. Later the Holland Land Company
ceded to this tribe two square miles of contiguous territory, and still
later the Tuscarora purchased 4,329 acres with the proceeds of a sale
of their North Carolina lands. Here the majority of the tribe lives to
this day. In 1813, their houses and church were burned by a raid of
British Indians, whereupon the Tuscarora retreated to Oneida Castle,
to return to their reservation at the close of the war. From 1838-46
there was agitation about removal, first to Wisconsin, later to Indian
Territory. Of one band who went out (about 1846), a third died in a
year, and many returned to their old homes. The Tuscarora are the most
progressive Indians of the state of New York, having good farms and
fine orchards; many desire to become citizens, and to have their lands
allotted in severalty. See Bullock's _Sketch_, in our volume xix, p.
150, note 20.--ED.
[193] The Tuscarora mission was begun in 1805 by the New York
Missionary Society, and for some years conducted by the American Board
of Foreign Missions; in 1821 the charge of this mission was transferred
to the Presbyterians. At the time of Maximilian's visit Reverend Joel
Wood was the missionary, but he remained only one year (October,
1833-October, 1834). The few Tuscarora who had followed Joseph Brant
to Canada after the Revolutionary War settled on Grand River, north of
Lake Erie, in a township called from their name in the present county
of Brant, Ontario.--ED.
[194] Maximilian here intends the Erie Canal, instead of Lake Erie.
For a brief sketch of the building of this waterway, see Buttrick's
_Voyages_,, in our volume viii, p. 88, note 37.--ED.