_Journey from Albany to the Falls of Niagara.-- Erie Canal.--
Schenectady.-- Utica.-- Rochester.-- Buffalo.-- The Falls of
Niagara, from the 14th to the 25th of August, 1825._
On the morning of the 14th of August, we took passage on board the
Albany, one of the canal packet-boats, for Lake Erie. This canal was
built at an expense of $2,500,000, and will be completed in about four
weeks: at present, they are at work only on the western part of it.
During the preceding year, they received an income of $300,000, and they
expect, during the present year, after the canal shall have been
completed, an income of $500,000, so that the expenses will, in a very
short time, be replaced, and the state realize an immense profit, unless
it be necessary to make great repairs, which I have no doubt will be the
case, and will consequently require a large share of this income.
Hitherto the great canal system was unknown in the United States, and
was rather unpopular. It might have been expected, therefore, that so
great and rapid an undertaking, would have a tendency to astound, if we
may so speak, the public mind; so that this canal was finished as soon
as possible, without calling to aid the great experience possessed by
other nations. Notwithstanding, this canal, which is three hundred and
sixty-two miles in length, with eighty-three locks, between the Hudson
and Lake Erie, which lies six hundred and eighty-eight feet above the
level of the former river, does the greatest honour to the genius of its
projector; though one who has seen the canals in France, Holland, and
England, will readily perceive, that the water-works of this country
afford much room for improvement. The canal is thirty-five feet wide on
the surface, twenty-eight feet at the bottom, and four feet deep, so
that none but flat vessels and rafts can sail on it. The packet-boat
which took us to Schenectady, was seventy feet long, fourteen feet wide,
and drew two feet water. It was covered, and contained a spacious cabin,
with a kitchen, and was very neatly arranged. On account of the great
number of locks, the progress of our journey was but slow: our
packet-boat went only at the rate of three miles an hour, being detained
at each lock, on an average, four minutes. The locks are fourteen feet
wide above the surface, and have a fall from seven to twelve feet. The
packet-boat was drawn by three horses, which walked upon a narrow
tow-path leading along the canal, and beneath the numerous bridges which
are thrown over it. These bridges, of which there are about three
hundred between Albany and Utica, are all built of wood, and in a very
awkward style; most of them belong to the farmers, and are intended to
serve as a means of communication between their fields. The distance
from Albany to Schenectady, by land, is only fifteen miles, and persons
are enabled to travel it in a very short time in the stage-coach; but as
we were anxious to see the canal, and get leisure to complete our
journals, we preferred going by water, twenty-eight miles.
At Troy, five miles and a half from Albany, is the government arsenal,
which appears to be a large establishment. As far as this place, the
canal runs nearly parallel with the Hudson. Troy, which is very
pleasantly situated on the left bank of the river, at the foot of
several tolerably high mountains, one of which is called Mount Ida,
appears, if we may be permitted to judge from the large store-houses and
the good appearance of the dwellings, to be a wealthy place. Here is a
branch canal which has two locks, and establishes a communication with
Troy. Shortly after, we arrived at a place where there are no less than
nine locks, with an ascent of seventy-eight feet. In front, and to the
right of this, is another canal, which unites with the Hudson and the
canal from Lake Champlain. At this place we left the Hudson and directed
our course along the Mohawk river. During our ride we observed a covered
wooden bridge, which extends over the latter river, a short distance
from its mouth, and is about six hundred feet in length, supported by
fifteen wooden piers. Here we saw the famous Cohoes Falls of the Mohawk
river, seventy-eight feet in height and about four hundred feet wide. In
the spring, when these falls extend over the entire bed of the Mohawk,
they are said to be extremely magnificent; during the present dry
weather, they presented a very handsome appearance, though they were
very small. The river was almost completely dried up. I walked over its
bed, which consists of slate rock, as far as its middle and near to the
falls. In some places the rocks are excavated by the action of the
water, and you may see holes which are full of water and are said to
contain excellent fish. Finding great difficulty in continuing the canal
on the right bank of the Mohawk, they were obliged here to carry it to
the opposite side by means of an aqueduct-bridge, one thousand one
hundred and eighty-eight feet in length. This bridge is of wood, and is
supported by twenty-six stone columns, on account of which, they have
placed a _chevaux-de-frise_, to keep off the ice in the river about one
hundred yards off. The part of this wooden canal, which contains the
water, is about twenty feet wide and has a tow-path eight feet wide on
one side. These wooden aqueducts will probably soon require repairing,
and there is no doubt but that they will ultimately be obliged to build
them of iron. The canal is cut through the rocks, almost the whole
distance, where it runs along the left bank of the Mohawk, and presents
a very handsome appearance. Twelve miles farther on, it returns again to
the right bank of the Mohawk by a similar aqueduct, seven hundred and
forty-eight feet in length and supported by sixteen piers. Above this
aqueduct, which is also protected by a _chevaux-de-frise_, there is a
common wooden bridge thrown over the river, for wagons. Four miles
farther on is Schenectady, where we arrived after sunset. Between this
town and Albany, we passed no less than twenty-seven locks. These,
though they are built of solid lime-stone, will soon require repairing,
as the water passes through them in various places. The gates also lock
badly, so that the water which percolates forms artificial cascades. The
country through which we passed to-day was generally wild and hilly, and
somewhat thinly settled.
Schenectady is an old town containing about five thousand inhabitants,
and is intersected by the canal. At this place we left the packet-boat,
in order to proceed to Utica next morning in another boat, and found
excellent lodgings at Given’s hotel, which, after the great heat we had
endured during the day, was exceedingly agreeable. Its inhabitants are,
in part, descendants of the Lower Saxons, and some of them whom I saw at
the tavern conversed with me in bad Dutch. Early on the next morning we
walked through the town, and visited Union College, which consists of
two large buildings situated a short distance from the town upon a
little eminence. It was the time of vacation, and consequently it was
perfectly silent. From its decaying appearance, I should judge the
college was not in a very prosperous condition. From this building you
have a beautiful view of the town, and of the Mohawk valley, which
appears here to be well settled. In the town we observed a peculiar
windmill, with a horizontal wheel, whose sails, about twenty in number,
stand perpendicularly.
We left Schenectady early in the morning on board the packet-boat Samuel
Young, which had engaged to take us to Utica, eighty miles distant, by
an early hour the next day. It was a large boat, and, as the passengers
are obliged to spend the night on board, is provided with separate
apartments for the ladies. The canal again ran along the well-cultivated
valley of the Mohawk, and the country, on account of the foliage of the
trees upon the heights was beautiful. The village of Amsterdam consists
of a few neat houses; and opposite, on the right bank of the Mohawk, is
Rotterdam. On our way we passed several small aqueducts, the longest of
which rest only upon three piers, and extend over small brooks, which,
as well as the small rivulets, are distinguished by the Indian
appellation of “creek.” The canal is carried over two rivers, called
Schoharie and Canajoharie creeks, from which it receives the most of its
water. At this place the horses are conveyed to the opposite side of the
two rivers by means of ferry-boats. At the first ferry is a small
village, called Fort Hunter, where, before the revolution, there had
been a fort, or rather a redoubt of the same name. Towards evening we
passed through a valley, which is formed by two rocky mountains, one of
which is called Anthony’s Nose. The houses we saw on our route, had
generally a handsome appearance; to-day and yesterday I observed also
some saw-mills. There are twenty-six locks between Schenectady and
Utica. The day was intolerably warm, and our company was very numerous.
I confined myself to writing, the whole day, as much as possible; but,
in consequence of the heat, I could not avoid sleeping. In the evening
we fortunately had a thunder-storm, which cooled the air. During the
night, as there was a want of births, the beds were placed upon benches,
and, as I was the tallest person, mine was put in the centre upon the
longest bench, with a chair as a supplement. It had the appearance of a
hereditary sepulchre, in the centre of which I lay as father of the
family. I spent an uncomfortable night, on account of my constrained
posture, the insects which annoyed me, and the steersman, who always
played an agreeable tune upon his bugle whenever he approached a lock.
During the night we passed an aqueduct bridge, which stands over a
solace, called Little Falls. Towards morning we passed through a
well-cultivated region, with some neat houses, called German flats, and
which was settled by some Germans during the time of Queen Anne. At
about twelve o’clock at noon we arrived at Utica, nine miles from the
place where we passed a lock, which is the last that occurs in the next
seventy miles. The land appeared to be marshy, and consisted of sand and
pebbles.
Utica, which is intersected by the canal, is a flourishing town, of
about four thousand inhabitants, and stands upon the site where Fort
Schuyler, a redoubt against the Indians, was formerly situated. In 1794,
there was a small tavern here, which was the only dwelling house in this
part of the country; but at present Utica is one of the most flourishing
towns in the state of New York, and new houses are continually building.
In fact, it is only here that a person begins to admire the great
improvements in cultivation, and gets perfectly new ideas of the works
of man, and of his enterprising genius! Utica, on the right bank of the
Mohawk, has two banks, four churches, an academy, and large and
convenient stores, a bookstore, and printing-office. It has also several
ale-houses, and three fine taverns, at the largest of which, called
Shepherd’s hotel, we found excellent accommodations. In this house there
are always more than seventy beds for the accommodation of strangers;
and these, on some occasions, are barely sufficient. The number of
travellers this summer, is said to have been unusually great, especially
from the southern states, where the heat is intolerable, and the summers
generally unhealthy. In such an American tavern every thing is perfectly
comfortable, and proportionably cheap. The price for board and lodging
is a dollar a day. The bell for rising rings before seven o’clock in the
morning. The bed-chambers are spacious, the beds wide and comfortable,
and the linen fine and perfectly clean. The bed-chambers, moreover, are
furnished with the necessary wash-stands, &c. After a person is dressed,
he enters the bar-room, where he finds all kinds of strong and
refreshing drinks; the desk of the head waiter is also here, who attends
to the bill. The inn-keeper is generally a gentleman, who eats with the
guests, and leads the conversation. Besides the entry, where the boots
and shoes are left in the evening, and where they are found well cleaned
in the morning, there are several sitting, reading, and writing
parlours, &c. And if a person wishes a separate sitting-room, especially
when he travels with ladies, it may be readily had at a separate charge.
Half an hour after rising, they ring the bell for breakfast; and, upon
going to the dining-room, you find upon a covered table, beef-steaks,
mutton, broiled chicken, or other fowls, fish, and boiled potatoes,
which are of a very superior quality. The waiters, or in many places,
the servant-maids, hand the coffee and tea. As the Americans, in
general, are a quiet people, such a breakfast, which is eaten in great
haste, is attended with but little noise. Dinner is generally served at
about two o’clock, and tea at seven in the evening. At tea, the table is
again furnished as at breakfast, with the addition of ragouts and
baker’s bread. Nobody is obliged to drink wine. There are usually water
and whiskey on the table, which are mixed in the summer, as the most
healthy drink. Every one must help himself as well as he can, for the
victuals are not handed about. Napkins you do not get, and instead, you
are obliged to make use of the table-cloth. With the exception of the
spoons, there is no silver on the table; the forks have two steel
prongs, and their handles, like those of the knives, are of buck’s horn.
It is an excellent rule, that no one on departing is obliged to give
money to the servants.
At Utica, seven of us for nine dollars hired a stage to visit the Falls
of Trenton, distant fourteen miles. Our passengers were partly from New
York, and partly from the state of North Carolina. We crossed the Mohawk
upon a covered wooden bridge, built in a bad and awkward manner, on
which I observed an advertisement, “that all persons who pass this
bridge on horseback or wagon faster than a walk, shall be fined one
dollar.” After this, our road gradually ascended to a forest, which was,
however, in part cleared for new fields. The timber is so much neglected
here, that they will very probably feel the want of it in less than
fifty years. At a short distance from the falls of West Canada Creek is
a new tavern, which is situated in a lately cleared forest, and is built
entirely of wood. At this tavern we left the carriage, and went on foot
through thick woods, from which a pair of stairs conduct to the falls.
A new pair of wooden stairs of about eighty steps, built for the
accommodation of strangers, leads to the bed of the river. This consists
entirely of slate-rock, is about two hundred feet wide, and is enclosed
between high rocky banks, which are lined by beautiful and lofty firs,
_arbor vitæ_, the maple, the elm, and the cedar. This beautiful mass of
green, the azure sky, the large and variegated rocks, and the three
falls, produce a most happy effect. The rocks at these falls, which, on
account of the great heat, scarcely extended over half the river, are so
excavated by the water, that they have the form of a common kettle. The
upper falls, which are about ninety feet high, are the grandest; and
near them, under the shade of an _arbor vitæ_, an adventurer has
established a small tavern, which presents a very picturesque
appearance, and is said to yield considerable profit. The rocks contain
handsome petrifactions of shells, plants, and animals; and we saw one
specimen a foot and a half long, which resembled a young alligator; of
the smaller ones we took several specimens. At the tavern where we had
put up, we found a tolerably good dinner, and towards evening returned
to Utica. The day was fine and pleasant. The thunder-storm of yesterday,
had done some good. I regretted that it was too late upon our return to
Utica, to visit a hydrostatic lock, designed to weigh the boats which
pass on the canal.
Having seen enough of the canal, and being anxious to see the
newly-settled country between this place and Niagara, we determined to
continue our journey on the next day in the stage-coach. With this
intention we left Utica at 4 o’clock in the morning of the 17th of
August, and the same day arrived at Auburn, distant seventy-three miles.
The stage-coaches in this country do not, as in England, travel ten
miles an hour, but usually six; as the country is generally hilly, and
the coach, when it carries the mail, stops at every village where there
is a post-office, on account of the great number of newspapers; the
letter-bag must be taken out, opened, again locked, and then returned;
the coachmen also are not very punctual, so that travelling is not so
rapid as it should be. The villages between Utica and Auburn were New
Hartford, four miles, Manchester, five miles, Vernon, eight miles,
Oneida, five miles, Lenox, four miles, Sullivan, eight miles, Manlius,
six miles, Jamesville, five miles, Onandago Hollow, five miles, Onandago
Hill, two miles, Marcellus, eight miles, and Skeneatelass, six miles.
Between Manchester and Vernon day dawned, and we found ourselves in a
rather wild country, in the midst of a wilderness. Oneida is an Indian
settlement, and was built by the remnant of the once mighty Oneida
tribe, who, unlike their countrymen, unwilling to fly before the white
settlers to the west, are at present a wretched people, despised and
oppressed by their neighbours like a gang of gypsies. They have been
obliged to learn trades, and to labour on farms; they have also been
converted to Christianity by means of missionaries, and of whom the
principal one is a Mr. Williams, a converted Indian, educated by the
Quakers. On entering the village we observed on a little eminence to the
left, a small, neat, frame church, where the Indians hold their service,
and close by, an open plain, surrounded by butternut trees, called
“Council Grove” where the elders of the tribe assemble to deliberate on
their most important affairs. The houses of the Indians are scattered
through the fields, are generally small, and built of logs. In the
centre of the village are white settlers, mechanics and tavern-keepers;
the latter of whom in particular make out well, as the Indians are fond
of strong drink. The land belongs to the whole tribe, and each
individual labours for the common good. We observed several Indians
along the road. They had a tawny complexion, and black hair; the men
appeared to be well built, and the women were stout, and resemble the
pictures of Esquimaux women in Parry’s Travels. Some of them wore their
hair down, which, if possible, increased their ugliness. Both the men
and women wear trowsers, generally of blue, and ornamented with white
lace; sometimes also of two colours, like the prisoners at Boston. The
men wear shirts over their trowsers, and great-coats of cloth. The women
dress in white or blue woollen mantles. At first, I thought myself in
civilized Europe, for a great number of children came along the carriage
to beg, a circumstance which had not occurred since my arrival in the
United States. It was soon ascertained, however, that they were Indian
children, dressed somewhat like their parents, and of the same
complexion. The girls had brass buckles on their cloaks, which fastened
in front, and most of them wore large bead necklaces.
Behind this village the road led along a considerable hill, from which
we had a beautiful view of Oneida Lake, which presented the appearance
of a large stream. Here you have a number of extensive prospects, which,
however, as you see but little cultivated land and few houses, is rather
uniform. Farther on we saw a small lake called Salt Lake, which is in
the midst of a forest, and has on its banks three picturesquely situated
towns, Liverpool, Salina, and Syracuse. At Salina are rich salt springs,
the water of which is collected in reservoirs, and it is evaporated by
the heat of the sun to procure the salt. Beyond Sullivan we passed
through the village of Chitteningo. It contains several mills, a cotton
factory, and a branch of the Erie Canal, which forms a kind of harbour,
and serves as a landing place for articles manufactured here, and for
the plaster and lime which are procured in the neighbourhood. This lime
becomes hard under water, so that it is excellently adapted to
waterworks. We dined at Manlius, a new village, containing two churches.
Besides the usual stage-coach there were two others to-day, all full of
passengers. In our own we had for a short distance a farmer,
a descendant of a German emigrant, who spoke the language that was used
in Germany about a hundred years ago. He thought my German was too high,
and that I spoke it like a parson. From the canal which forms an angle
here, we drove in a southerly direction, in order to keep on the plains,
as the main road, which is nearer, leads over a hill. The two Onondago
villages appear to be flourishing manufacturing places, and are
pleasantly situated. Marcellus is also a new village and has two
churches. Most of the small villages have two churches, an Episcopal and
a Presbyterian. In each of them, and even at the Indian village, there
is a school. In several of the villages also I had the pleasure of
seeing bookstores. Beyond Marcellus the night unfortunately closed in,
which prevented me from seeing Skeneatelass Lake, as well as the town of
the same name, which is said to be extremely pleasantly situated on one
of its banks. About nine o’clock in the evening we arrived at Auburn,
and found good accommodations at one of the public houses. This town
contains upwards of one hundred and fifty houses, a court-house and
penitentiary, which is said to be managed in a very excellent manner. To
my regret I saw none of them; for at four o’clock the next morning, 18th
of August, we set out in the stage-coach for Rochester, distant
sixty-nine miles. The villages which we passed on our route were,
Cayuga, nine miles, Seneca Falls, three miles, Waterloo, five miles,
Geneva, six miles, Canandaigua, sixteen miles, Mendon, fifteen miles,
Pittsford, seven miles, from which latter it was yet eight miles to
Rochester.
It was just daylight as we arrived in the vicinity of Cayuga, on the
lake of the same name, which is about twenty miles long, and from one to
three wide. This lake empties into the Seneca river, which afterwards
unites with the Mohawk. We crossed the lake not far from its mouth, on a
wooden bridge, one mile in length, eighteen yards wide, and built in a
very rough and careless manner: the planks are loose and the
_chevaux-de-frise_ is in a bad condition. On the opposite side of the
lake is a large toll-house. At a short distance from this we arrived at
Seneca Falls, so called in consequence of the little falls of the Seneca
river, which are close by, and are chiefly formed by a mill-dam. At the
tavern we met an Indian and his wife, of the Oneida tribe, who were
going on a visit to the Senecas. We conversed with the man, who had been
at school, and understood English. He told us that he had been raised by
a Quaker missionary, and that he was a farmer, and concluded by asking
for a little money, which he probably spent with his ugly wife at the
next grog-shop.
All the villages through which we passed are quite new, and in many
places we passed through primitive forests, which, in some places, they
are just beginning to clear. At Waterloo the first house was erected in
1816, and at present it has two churches and about three thousand
inhabitants. Several of the houses are built of brick, and contain well
furnished stores. At the tavern we saw a large, beautiful young eagle,
which had been caught in his nest and tamed. The country beyond Waterloo
was boggy, and the road in some places made of large logs, so that we
were very disagreeably jolted. Geneva is situated at the north point of
Seneca Lake, which is between fifty and sixty miles long and about five
wide. The town derives its name from its similarity of situation to
Geneva in Switzerland. It is also quite new, and contains about four
thousand inhabitants. It has two churches and several large stone and
brick houses, of which the Franklin Hotel, situated on the bank of the
lake, is the most spacious and beautiful. I went into a bookstore to
ascertain what kind of books were most sold in this part of the country,
and was told that the ancient classics and religious books found the
most ready sale; sometimes also novels, law and medical works. The
college is said to have several hundred students. In front of the town
along the lake, there are beautiful country seats and gardens. On the
other side of the town the woods are but a short distance from the
houses, and are as yet not much cleared. We saw, however, several tracts
of timber on fire; the trees are burnt in order to clear the land.
Canandaigua, which lies on the north point of the lake of the same name,
which is about twenty miles long, is an extremely beautiful and pleasant
town, that has been but lately settled. The Duke de la Rochefoucault
says, that during his travels in America, in 1790, there was but a
single house on this lake, in which he spent the night, in a garret used
as a store-room. Now it is a beautiful commercial town, having one bank,
a court-house, and a very superior tavern. The court was sitting, and
there was a large collection of people, so that the town exhibited a
very lively appearance. At this place the road separates, the left goes
through Batavia and several small villages to Buffalo on Lake Erie; the
right, to Rochester, and thence to Lake Ontario and the Falls of
Niagara: and as this road again approaches the Erie canal, it is said to
be the most interesting. On this account we gave it the preference,
although the longest route.
We left Canandaigua in the afternoon, and rode through Victor, Mendon,
and Pittsford, to Rochester. On this route we observed nothing
particularly interesting, excepting several new settlements; the
inhabitants of which resided in log-houses, which had a peculiar, but by
no means an unpleasant aspect. I was particularly pleased with the neat
and decent appearance of the inhabitants.
We arrived at Rochester at half past eight o’clock in the evening, and
took lodgings at the Eagle Tavern. We crossed the Genesee river, which
divides Rochester into two parts, on a wooden bridge, the first that we
had hitherto met in the United States that was built firmly and
properly. It rests upon stone piers, and is made of solid beams, with
thick and well fastened planks. The next morning we walked through the
town, and were pleased with its rapid increase. In 1812, there was not a
single house here; nothing but a wilderness; and the land could be
purchased at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. At present,
Rochester is one of the most flourishing towns in the state of New York.
It contains four churches, one bank, a court-house, and about four
thousand inhabitants. Many of the houses are built of blue limestone,
and of brick. The town contains several mills and manufactories; and
amongst others, a nail factory, in which the nails are made with a
machine, as in Birmingham. They also manufacture rifle-guns, which are
very long and heavy. On the right bank of the Genesee river, the houses
are not so numerous as on the left, and there are yet many frame, and
even some log-houses: in the place where, probably in a short time,
handsome wharves will be built, there may yet be seen stumps of trees--a
truly interesting sight to those who observe the progress of this
country. The basements of the houses are generally built of rough
sand-stone; their corners, doors, and windows, of a kind of white
marble-like sand-stone, and the rest of brick. The white sand-stone is
procured in the neighbourhood, and is cut into slabs at a saw-mill on
the Genesee river. I saw three of these blocks sawed; and in one frame I
observed no less than five saws. Several hundred yards below the bridge
the Genesee river is about two hundred yards wide, and has a fall of
ninety-five feet, which at present, however, did not appear to much
advantage. Above the falls is a race which conducts the water to several
mills, and it again flows into the river below the falls, where it forms
three beautiful cascades, which reminded me of the Villa di Mäcen, at
Tivoli.
At Rochester the Erie canal is carried over the Genesee river by a stone
aqueduct bridge, and resembles that of the Bridgewater canal at
Manchester, in England. This aqueduct, which is about one thousand yards
above the falls, rests upon a base of slate rock, and is seven hundred
and eighty feet long. A work which has been lately published, called the
“Northern Tour,” gives the following description of it: “The aqueduct
consists of eleven broad arches, built in the form of circular segments,
the tops of which are raised eleven feet above the level of the arches,
and fifteen feet above that of the water in the river. The two exterior
arches have an extent of forty feet each, and beneath them are the
streams which turn the mills; the other nine each fifty feet wide, &c.”
Upon one of its sides is a tow-path secured by iron railings. The whole
is a solid work, and does much credit to its architect, Benjamin Wright.
We left Rochester at nine o’clock, on board the canal packet-boat Ohio,
Captain Storch. The canal, between Lockport and Rochester, runs a
distance of sixty-three miles, through a tolerably level country, and
north of the Rochester ridge. This ridge consists of a series of rocks,
which form the chain of the mountains which commences north of Lake
Erie, stretches eastward to the Niagara river, confines it, and forms
its falls, then continues its course, and forms the different falls
which are north of Lake Ontario, and is at length lost in the
neighbourhood of the Hudson. It has only been within the last year that
this part of the canal has been passable; its course is through dense
sombre forests, in which are but few settlements, such as Spencer’s
Basin, Bates, and Brickport. The bridges are better and higher than
those we have mentioned in the preceding pages. Amongst our passengers,
was a Mr. Bosch, a Dutch clergyman from Curaçao, and the Rev. Messrs.
Sluiter and Wykoff, from New York. These gentlemen, being of Dutch
descent, the conversation was generally carried on in their native
tongue. Captain Storch also, who is a native of Amsterdam, and a Jew by
birth, who has travelled extensively, made the time pass very
pleasantly, by his lively disposition, and his agreeable conversation.
Both before and after dinner, as well as at tea, the two clergymen from
New York, asked a blessing; and before we retired to bed, one of them
read several chapters in the Bible, and then made a long prayer.
We reached Lockport on the 20th of August, about 7 o’clock in the
morning. At this place the canal is carried over the ridge by five large
locks, through which the water is raised to the height of seventy-six
feet. The locks are ten in number, being arranged in two parallel rows,
so that while the boats ascend in one row, they may descend at the same
time in the other. Through this arrangement the navigation is greatly
facilitated, and the whole work, hewn through and surrounded by large
rocks, presents an imposing aspect.
Lockport, to which we repaired, while the boat was left in the basin at
the foot of the locks, is an extremely interesting place, and is
situated just above the locks. In May, 1821, it consisted of two
log-houses; at present it contains not less than six hundred, some of
which are stone houses: it contains a post-office, one printing-office,
which issues a weekly paper, and two churches. Though at present
Lockport appears perfectly wild, yet this appearance will no doubt
vanish in the course of four or five years, so that it will present as
splendid an appearance as Canandaigua and Rochester. On our arrival, the
canal was still unfinished for about five miles; but it was supposed
that the whole would be completed before the close of the year. They
were obliged to cut it through solid rock, generally about thirty feet
deep, for a distance of more than three miles. This was mostly effected
by blasting. Several hundred Irishmen were at work. They reside in log
huts, built along the canal. They make much money; but they suffer also
severely in consequence of the unhealthy climate, especially from
fevers, which not unfrequently prove fatal. The stone, which is
quarried, is employed in building houses, and in making turnpikes. In
breaking the rocks they often find beautiful petrifactions, and other
remarkable minerals; for example, _strontian_, and beautiful transparent
_gypsum_. I saw a large petrified tree, and a handsome petrified
_sea-coral_.
At Lockport we took a dearborn for Buffalo, where we were anxious to go,
in order to see the union of the canal with Lake Erie. Though a good
stage runs between Lockport and the Falls of Niagara, we went in this
bad vehicle five miles, to the navigable part of the canal. The road led
through the forest, the trees of which had been felled along the canal,
and passed over the stumps, so that it was uncommonly rough, especially
as it had rained the day before. Arrived at length at the navigable part
of the canal, we took passage on board a rather bad boat, where nothing
was to be had but the common cordial, whiskey. The village where we went
on board, is called Cottensburgh, and is quite a new settlement. At this
place also the canal is cut through rocks to the depth of about thirty
feet. About two or three miles farther on, it terminates in the
Tonnawanta Creek, which serves as a canal for twelve miles. This creek
has scarcely any outlet, so that when it rises much, they are obliged to
protect the canal by means of safety-locks near its union with the
creek. At the outlet of the creek into the Niagara is a sluice for the
purpose of keeping the water always at a certain height. The creek
itself is about fifty yards wide, and runs through a dense and beautiful
forest, which has never been touched by the axe, except along the canal,
where they have been obliged to make a tow-path. I sat in the bow of the
boat during the whole passage. Nothing interrupted the solemn silence,
except the chattering of the boatmen’s teeth, who are often severely
affected in this unhealthy part of the country, with the intermittent
fever. Another small river, called Eleven-mile Creek, unites with the
main river, and not far from this junction was the site for the new town
of Tonnawanta. A few small houses and a saw-mill were already erected;
the inhabitants appeared also to suffer much from the intermittent
fever. Here the Tonnawanta Creek, unites with the Niagara, where the
sluice which we have just mentioned leads off. At this place also we had
the first view of the Niagara river, which conveys the waters of Lake
Erie into Lake Ontario, from the other extremity of which flows the St.
Lawrence. In the river we observed Grand Island, which contains about
one thousand one hundred acres, is overgrown with timber, and belongs to
a New York editor, Moses Mordecai Noah, a Jew, who purchased it for the
purpose of establishing a Jewish colony. The soil is very good; during
the late war between England and the United States, the Niagara, it is
well known, formed the boundary line between them and the British
provinces of Upper Canada, and this island bore testimony of the bloody
conflict. From this place, the canal runs along the bank of the Niagara,
from which it is separated only by a small bank, built rather
carelessly, and several feet above the level of the river, which is
already somewhat rapid on account of its vicinity to the falls. On the
Tonnawanta Creek we saw several canoes which were made by excavating the
trunks of trees. From Tonnawanta to Buffalo it is eight miles, five of
which we travelled on the canal as far as Black Rock. A basin is formed
here by means of a dam situated near Squaw Island, on which is a lock
communicating with the Niagara. The whole of this work is of wood, and
cannot therefore be expected to be very durable. In the basin lay the
new steam-boat Henry Clay, of three hundred tons, intended for running
on Lake Erie. We had here the first view of the lake, whose shore
appeared to be overgrown with wood. The other shore of course we could
not see, and it seemed therefore as though we were looking into an
expanded sea. The canal to Buffalo not being completed, we again took
stage at Black Rock, and rode three miles to the former town, where we
arrived at about 5 o’clock at evening, and took lodgings at the Mansion
House, pleasantly situated on a little eminence in the lake.
Buffalo was burnt during the late war, by the British, but it has arisen
from its ashes with increased beauty. The town contains about five
thousand inhabitants, and will, in consequence of its situation near the
mouth of the canal and its harbour, at which they are hard at work, soon
become an important place. At the entrance of the harbour is a
light-house, and on the lake we observed several schooners of about
three hundred tons. A steam-boat, called the Superior, was ready to
start with fifty passengers to Erie, and thence to Detroit. In the
streets, we saw some tolerably well-dressed Indians of the Seneca tribe,
who have their wigwam three miles distant. Amongst them were several
women, who indeed, but for their complexion, might have been considered
handsome. We also had an amusing military spectacle. It consisted of a
militia parade, consisting of thirty men, including seven officers and
two cornets. They were formed, like a battalion, into six divisions, and
performed a number of manœuvres. The members were not all provided with
muskets, but had ramrods instead. Only the officers and the
rifle-company, four men strong, were in uniform. The band consisted of
sixteen men, and was commanded by an officer with a colonel’s epaulets
and drawn sword!
On the following day, 21st of August, we left Buffalo for the small
village of Manchester, twenty-three miles distant, and situated on the
right bank of the Niagara, near the falls. As far as the village of
Tonnawanta the road passed along the canal. It was in a very bad
condition, cut through the forest, and no pains have been taken to
remove the trees, which are thrown on the road side, and the most
beautiful trunks are permitted to spoil in a pitiable manner. On the
left we had a view of the river and of Grand-Island, thickly studded
with timber. The river is more than one mile wide below the island. On
the Canada side is the village of Chippewa. From this place, a distance
of three miles, we could already see the rising vapours of the falls.
The water, however, indicated no signs of the approach to the precipice.
It is only a short distance from Manchester, where you perceive the
lofty trees on Goat-Island with its heights, situated in the midst of
the falls, that the river becomes rocky, and the rapids commence; these
form a number of small falls, which are nearly a mile long and the same
in breadth, running as far as where the two great falls are separated by
Goat-Island.
At Manchester, we took lodgings at the Eagle Tavern, and hastened
immediately to the Falls: our steps were guided by their mighty roaring.
In a few moments we stood near the precipice, and saw before us the
immense mass of water which rushes with a tremendous noise into the
frightful abyss below. It is impossible to describe the scene, and the
pen is too feeble to delineate the simultaneous feelings of
insignificance and grandeur which agitate the human breast at the sight
of this stupendous work of nature! We can only gaze, admire, and adore.
The rocks on both sides are perpendicular, but there is a wooden
staircase which leads to the bed of the river. We descended, but in
consequence of the drizzly rain which is produced by the foam of the
water, we had by no means so fine a prospect from below as we
anticipated. On this account, therefore, we soon ascended and satisfied
ourselves by looking from above upon this sublime and majestic sight. As
we returned, full of these mighty impressions, to the Eagle Tavern we
found to our great joy a fine opportunity of speaking of the grandeur
and magnificence we had just beheld. Lieutenants De Goer and Van Vloten,
of the Pallas, had just arrived to render homage to this great natural
curiosity.
In company with these gentlemen we took a walk to Goat-Island, by a
convenient wooden bridge, thrown over the rapids about seven years
since. The first bridge leads to a small island called Bath-Island,
which contains a bath-house and billiard-room: the second to
Goat-Island, which is about one mile in circumference, and overgrown
with old and beautiful trees. The Indians who formerly resided in this
part of the country, considered the island as sacred. They used to say
that the _Great Manito_ or _Great Spirit_ inhabited it. And in fact, how
could the Great Spirit manifest himself more irresistibly than in the
destructive might of the tremendous Falls?
On Bath-Island a person may approach so near to the American falls as to
look into the abyss below. The animals in the neighbourhood are so
careless of this, that the cows and horses go into the river to drink
within five yards of the brink of the precipice. From the foot of the
falls you can see nothing of the abyss, inasmuch as every thing is
concealed by the foam and vapour. On Goat-Island a person may in the
same manner approach the Canadian falls, in the centre of which is a
semicircular hollow, called the Horse-shoe, and here the noise is still
more tremendous than on the other side. The vapour which rises from the
Horse-shoe forms a thick mist, which may be seen at a great distance. To
look into the Horse-shoe is awful and horrible. Nor can this be done but
at the instant when the vapour is somewhat dissipated. You stand like a
petrified being. The level of Lake Erie is said to be five hundred and
sixty-four feet above that of the sea, and three hundred and thirty-four
feet above the waters of Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is consequently two
hundred and thirty feet above the level of the sea. From Lake Erie to
the rapids the water has a fall of fifteen feet, in the rapids
fifty-seven feet, and according to a recent measurement, the falls on
the American side are one hundred and sixty-two feet high. From this
place to Lewistown the river has a fall of one hundred and four feet,
and thence to Lake Ontario, of two feet.
The next morning, 22d of August, we made another visit to Goat-Island.
We afterwards descended the stairs to the river, which we crossed in a
small boat, at a short distance from both falls. The bed of the river is
said to be here two hundred and forty-six feet deep. The current passes
beneath the surface of the water, and does not again become visible till
after a distance of three miles. On the Canada side you have a much
better view of the falls than on the American, for you see both falls at
the same time. There is on the Canada side a covered wooden staircase,
which we ascended, and approached the falls, amidst a constant drizzling
caused by the falling water. The sun threw his rays upon the thick mist
and formed a beautiful rainbow. Another winding staircase leads down the
rocks near the falls, under which you may walk to the distance of one
hundred and twenty feet; several of the gentlemen present went in, but
according to their report they could not see any thing. I was contented
therefore to behold the falls from Table rock, which almost overhangs
them. A part of this rock gave way several years ago and fell down the
precipice, and the remaining part is so much undermined by the water
that it will probably soon follow. The whole distance from the American
to the British shore is fourteen hundred yards, of which three hundred
and eighty belong to the American falls, three hundred and thirty to
Goat-Island, and seven hundred yards to the Canada or Horse-shoe falls.
On the British side, opposite to the falls are two taverns, in the
larger of which, Forsyth’s Hotel, we took lodgings until the next day,
when we intended to pay a visit to the governor of Upper Canada, Sir
Peregrine Maitland, who resides at his country seat within a few miles
of the falls. During the late war a bridge was thrown over the river
about one mile above this tavern, which, together with a mill, was burnt
by the Americans on their retreat from the battle of Lundy’s Lane. A few
years ago a burning spring was discovered here, several of which are
said to occur in different parts of the United States. It is surrounded
by a cask, and contains a cold water of a blackish, slimy appearance,
and of a sulphurous taste. Within this cask is a small vessel which is
open at the bottom, and has a pipe at its upper end. If a lighted candle
be held within a foot of the mouth of this pipe, it will instantly
produce a strong flame, similar to a gas-light. If the vessel be taken
out, and the candle be held over the surface of the water, it will
produce the same effect, but the flame will soon disappear. In the
neighbourhood of Forsyth’s Hotel is the only point from which you have a
full view of both falls at the same time, which, however, is often
interrupted by the ascending vapour.
On our return to the American shore, we examined a _camera obscura_
which is situated at the head of the American staircase, and was built
by a Swiss. This gives a tolerably good view of the falls. Afterwards we
took a ride to the Whirlpool, which is three miles down the Niagara, and
is formed by a kind of rocky basin where the river runs between narrow
rocky banks. It is singular to see this confusion of the water, whose
appearance cannot be better described than by comparing it with the
flowing of melted lead. The lofty rocks which form the banks of this
river, are beautifully covered with wood and present a stately, majestic
appearance. In the evening I again went to Goat-Island in order to view
the falls by bright moonlight: in this light they produce a very
peculiarly beautiful effect, which is greatly heightened by a
moon-rainbow.
The following day, 23d August, all our company departed; my friend Tromp
and myself alone remained. We went to the other side of the river, and
took lodgings at Forsyth’s Hotel, where we found Sir Michael and Lady
Clare, from Jamaica, where Sir Michael is a member of parliament: he was
making a tour of pleasure, with his lady, through the United States.
I also became acquainted with a Mr. Grymes, of Virginia, who was
formerly attorney general of the state of Louisiana, and is married to
the widow of the late Governor Claiborne, a beautiful and wealthy
creole. As this family were also going on a tour to Canada, I hoped to
travel with them. Mrs. Grymes spoke French, a circumstance which was
exceedingly agreeable on account of the facility with which I could
converse with her. I also found the son and adjutant of the governor,
Sir Peregrine Maitland, who had been sent by his father, to await my
arrival. In a short time after, this worthy general came himself to pay
me a visit, and offer me a room in his cottage, four miles off. This I
refused, but on the evening of the following day, I rode to Sir
Peregrine’s in company with Sir Michael and Lady Clare. The road went
over the battle-ground at Lundy’s Lane, (25th July, 1814,) which is
situated upon a gentle eminence, and through the beautiful village of
Stamford. The fields here are much better cultivated than in the United
States, and there is not so much waste of timber. The clearing is done
with much more order and regularity. Sir Peregrine resides at his
cottage, in summer, which was built by his father-in-law, the Duke of
Richmond, and surrounded by a park. His winter residence is at York, on
the northern shore of Lake Ontario, the seat of the parliament of Upper
Canada.