Among the earliest missionaries sent to convert the Indians to the
Christian belief was Joseph Price, a young man who had received directions
to penetrate farther into the vast forests which clothe the continent of
America toward the north than had been at that time accomplished. In this
hazardous undertaking he was accompanied by Henry Wilmington, who,
actuated by the same religious motives, had volunteered to attend him.
They had been landed at Boston, then a very small but thriving village,
about a month previous, where they made the necessary preparations for
their expedition, and recruited themselves after a passage of thirteen
weeks from Plymouth, for so long a passage was not uncommon in those times
in traversing the Atlantic.
It was a fine morning in the latter end of May when they bade adieu to the
inhabitants, by whom they had been hospitably entertained, and,
accompanied by the good wishes of all, proceeded toward the hitherto
unexplored forest.
The buds were now beginning to expand into leaves, and the sun was often
darkened by the vast flocks of migratory pigeons, which, when the woods
allowed, sometimes flew so close to the ground that the travelers could
beat them down with their sticks. Before sailing from England they had
often heard persons who had crossed the Atlantic mention this
circumstance, but they suspected them of exaggeration until they witnessed
it themselves.
It was their intention to visit a distant tract of country, of which
nothing was known except vague reports of sheets of water so immense that,
but for the circumstance of their being fresh, might have led them to
suppose they were on an island. These reports were for the most part
gathered from the Indians, on whose testimony little reliance could be
placed, as none of their informers could speak from their own knowledge.
Into the Wilderness.
To aid them in their pursuit, they were provided with compasses and armed
with fowling-pieces. They, directing their course toward the place to
which most of the Indians alluded, had, it is true, but slight grounds on
which to rest their hopes of success; animated, however, with the desire
of fulfilling what they had undertaken, they thought little of the
difficulties which might attend it: accordingly, it was without regret
that they were now leaving the settled part of the country.
Having traveled several days without seeing anything worthy of notice,
they arrived at the ultimate farm they could expect to meet with before
their return. After remaining there for the night, they continued their
journey through the forest, which had most likely never been previously
trodden by the feet of civilized man. The startled deer frequently crossed
their path, and a few birds were the only objects that varied the silent
solitude around.
Guided by their compasses, they continued their progress many days until
they arrived at the banks of a large and rapid river, which they in vain
attempted to pass, as its breadth and swiftness precluded the hope of
their being able to swim across it.
After proposing many expedients, all of which they soon found to be
impracticable, they determined on trusting themselves to some one of the
many fallen trees which lay in every eddy along its banks; and having
selected one whose branches lay in such a manner as would prevent it from
turning over, they entwined boughs to form a small kind of basket, into
which, having provided themselves with stout poles, they entered, taking
care that neither their guns nor ammunition suffered from the water; they
then steadily pushed it from the shore into the stream, and continued
doing so until the water grew so deep that the poles were of no avail, and
they were obliged to trust to Providence to carry them to the other side.
For some time they continued in the middle of the river, without inclining
toward either bank, when they perceived that, by the help of the wind,
they were quickly gaining on a large pine, which was slowly floating
downward. On reaching it, they stretched out their poles with a great
effort, and succeeded in pushing themselves into water where they could
again find bottom.
After much labor, our travelers touched the bank, on which they quickly
leaped, and having taken out their arms they continued their journey
rejoicing.
A Battle of Stags.
They soon after arrived at a spot where they deemed it fit to wait till
the following morning, and, it being their custom, they went out hunting
in order to provide provision for the next day's wants, at that time
easily accomplished, as the forests abounded with herds of deer, which,
having been seldom disturbed, were exceedingly tame.
On this occasion they soon beheld a great number watching a furious
encounter between two large bucks, which, with the utmost animosity, were
endeavoring to gore each other. Surprised at a sight they had never before
seen, they determined to await the result; and after some time one of the
combatants, by an amazing leap, sprang past the other, and, swiftly
turning round, drove his horns into the side of his adversary and
instantly killed him.
The missionaries, running to the spot, frightened away the remainder of
the herd, while they took possession of the fallen one, and, having taken
what would serve them for several days, left the carcass to the wolves.
In about a week after, they reached a chain of mountains, where they
rested for the night, and next morning proceeded to ascend their steep and
sandy sides, up which they were enabled to drag themselves by grasping the
trees; nevertheless, they were several times nearly precipitated into the
gulf below.
Wilmington, on one occasion in particular, when they were ascending a very
dangerous part of the mountain, inadvertently seized a rotten branch,
which, giving way, caused him to be hurried downward to the very brink of
a precipice, where he saved himself by catching hold of a projecting
bough. Thus they advanced for the remainder of that day, in the evening of
which they took advantage of a small space of level ground, to remain
until the morning.
About noon they succeeded in gaining the summit of the ridge; and, in
order that they might view the surrounding country, they ascended a
barren crag that reared itself high above the others; for, without having
met with this, the trees would have excluded every prospect.
Climbed Tree to See Lakes.
Having reached its loftiest pinnacle, they turned their eager eyes to see
if they could behold any traces of the mighty seas of fresh water which
had been described to them by the Indians; but to their sorrow, as far as
their sight could stretch, only vast woods met their anxious gaze.
While thus engaged, they sometimes heard the piercing cries of the hawk in
pursuit of his prey; far under them, and among the trees, the drumming of
the partridge and the tapping of the woodpecker could be clearly
distinguished.
Being somewhat disappointed, they silently commenced wending their lonely
way down the side of the mountain; but, notwithstanding their utmost
exertions, they could not succeed in descending the range that evening,
and were compelled by the approaching darkness to seek a spot where they
might safely rest.
Early in the morning they awoke, and, continuing their descent with
renewed energy, soon surpassed the formidable obstacle which the hills had
opposed.
Having rested for the remainder of that day, they again began to cross the
level country, and continued doing so for many days, without having seen a
single human being since their departure from the farm, when, one day, in
a glade of the woods, they saw a band of Indians among the trees, who,
having approached, spoke in a pleasant but to them unknown language. Their
gestures betokened their surprise at beholding people so different in
color to themselves, and armed with what appeared to them only polished
sticks.
While thus employed, a flock of wild geese flew high above their heads, at
which the Indians discharged their arrows, but they fell short of their
intended mark; when Price and Wilmington, raising their guns, fired, and
to the astonishment of the natives two of the flock came fluttering to
their feet.
The spectators crowded around the Europeans, and with much curiosity
began to admire the weapons which they had formerly despised. Their
wonder was not diminished when they saw what they imagined pounded cinders
put into the muzzles of the guns, and then, on pulling a small piece of
iron, a flash of fire, accompanied with smoke and a loud report,
immediately followed.
The chief, by signs, appeared to ask them to accompany him, that the rest
of his tribe might see what seemed to them exceedingly wonderful, and
having followed him they soon arrived at a place where several Indians
were engaged in erecting small wigwams of bark.
The chief, however, made them understand that this was only their
hunting-ground, and told them that their village lay far off, in the
direction of the sun, which was then sinking behind the trees, and to
which they should soon return.
From this time the missionaries commenced learning the language of their
entertainers, in which they were able to converse with some facility by
the time that the Indians returned to their village, which was situated on
the Oneida. Having arrived there, Price began to teach them; but they,
having patiently listened to his first sermon, to his great sorrow, never
assembled to hear him again; and, in consequence, he told Wilmington that
he would try to discover whether there was any truth in the reports they
had heard at Boston concerning the inland waters, and asked him if he was
willing to be his companion.
Had Heard Great Roaring.
Wilmington assented, and having endeavored to inform the Indians of their
intention, the chief, who had conducted them to the village, made them
understand that the river which flowed past led to an immense basin, which
they supposed was formed by the continual running of several large rivers,
but that few of his tribe had ever paddled far round its borders.
There was, however, an old man who in his youth had ventured to proceed in
his canoe for many suns along it, and returned with the report that he had
arrived at an immense river which ran into the fresh sea, where, having
landed for the purpose of hunting, he had heard a terrific roaring, as he
thought, of waters, and, advancing through the woods toward the sound,
for some miles the stream became so rapid that no canoe could go up
against it. Being very much alarmed, he had hurried back to his bark and
instantly commenced his return; but he was the only one of the tribe who
had ever dared to sail so far, and from his account they supposed it the
source of the lake.
Having learned this, they asked the chief, whose name was Maiook, whether
he would allow any of his Indians to accompany them down the river to the
lake and ascertain from whence the sound that had alarmed the aged Indian
arose. He at first tried to dissuade them by every argument in his power,
but, finding his endeavors of no avail, he said that he would himself join
them in their expedition. It was, therefore, agreed that they should sail
down the river the week following; but, before the time determined on, an
event occurred that considerably delayed their departure.
On rising one morning they remarked that large clouds of smoke were
drifting over their heads, accompanied by an overpowering pressure of
heat, which the Indians said was occasioned by the woods being on fire;
and as the wind was high, showers of ashes frequently fell around them.
To avoid these, they took shelter in their wigwams, but the hotness of the
air, together with the smoke, increased so much that, being in danger of
suffocation, the chief proposed that they should cast themselves into the
Oneida; and as no better proposition could be made, they hurried into it,
and remained with only their heads above water, being often obliged to
immerse them likewise. They were thus situated many hours, while the water
was black with the ashes that fell around them.
First View of Lake Ontario.
The wind at last, to their great joy, changed, and relieved them from
their perilous position, by driving the flames in the contrary direction.
They did not, however, quit the water, as the ground was still covered
with burning embers. On leaving the river, they saw, to their
mortification, that the village was on fire in several places, and it was
some time before they succeeded in stopping the progress of the burning;
the canoes which they had drawn up on the shore were also consumed.
After repairing the damage and making other canoes, they began their
expedition; and, having paddled for several days, one calm and beautiful
evening they were astonished at the sight of Lake Ontario.
As far as the eye could reach they could only see what appeared to them
boundless water, which lay without the slightest ripple on its glassy
surface, undisturbed by the softest breath of wind. They then continued
paddling round the shore, looking out for a place where they might safely
moor their canoes during the night, and, among the many small inlets, they
soon discovered one fitted for their purpose, which they immediately
entered.
At sunrise they again advanced on their adventurous expedition. As they
coasted along, the deer would sometimes look at them from among the
thickets which fringed the borders of the lake; and at other times they
saw them swimming across the mouths of the various creeks or rivers which
they passed in their progress. They were, however, too much engaged in
admiring the lonely magnificence of the surrounding scenery to interrupt
the playful gambols of the deer by endeavoring to wound them, which they
did only when their necessities compelled.
Thus they paddled onward for several days without perceiving anything that
might lead them to suppose they were approaching the spot to which the old
Indian had alluded, when one hazy morning, having proceeded many miles
before the sun had power to dispel the thick mists, they were delighted at
seeing themselves, as the air at noon cleared, about to enter a large
river, which flowed rapidly into the lake.
As this in some measure coincided with the first part of what had been
related to them, they determined on entering it; but after paddling up it
for some time the current grew so strong that they were compelled to
disembark and continue their journey by land on the edge of the high
precipitous bank.
The wind, softly blowing, rustled among the trees, but sometimes they
fancied that a distant rumbling could be distinguished.
Having followed the course of the stream along the edge of the cliff for
some distance, Price proposed that one of them should ascend a tree and
follow the course of the river upward with his eye, and try if he could
discover whence the sound that reached them arose.
Maiook, therefore, told one of his Indians to climb up a lofty pine which
grew apart from the rest, and he had hardly ascended half-way when,
uttering a cry of astonishment, he hastened to the ground and told his
comrades that he had seen immense clouds of spray rising far above the
trees, but he could not perceive from what cause they arose.
The Cataract at Last!
Encouraged by this report, after refreshing themselves (being much wearied
by their toilsome march), they hastened along the edge of the cliffs,
while the rushing sound that had been gradually increasing was every
instant becoming more and more tremendous, and the velocity of the stream
made them imagine that they were in the vicinity of a furious rapid, when,
on advancing from the thick bushes, they suddenly found themselves on a
bare ledge of rock which overhung an immense chasm into which two streams
and a mighty river were tumbling with a noise that drowned all their
exclamations of surprise, and which was louder than the voice of the ocean
in a storm.
Springing back with terror from the edge of the precipice over which they
had so nearly plunged, they eyed the thundering and foaming torrent with
amazement, not noticing that part of the rock on which they had just been
standing was tottering, and slowly separating itself from the adjoining
mass, till they were roused by the crash with which it was precipitated
into the gulf below, shaking the living rock from whence it had been
detached, and resounding through the woods, far above the roaring of the
stupendous cataract.
The missionaries involuntarily leaped back among the trees, not daring to
return to the place where they had been, and viewed with more composure
the awful prospect before them. The river above the falls was for some
distance a furious rapid, rushing with incredible force toward the
precipice; but when on its very brink it, in some parts of the great
stream, became calm, other parts were white with foam.
While thus engaged, Maiook, with a loud cry, directed their attention to a
large deer, which, in vain struggling against the overpowering suction of
the falls, was rapidly coming to destruction. They watched its fruitless
endeavors to reach the shore; but, on arriving at the deceitful calm, it
looked wildly, with distended nostrils and outstretched neck, and seemed
to be crying; but the roar of the cataracts drowned its voice, and it was
soon precipitated into the boiling abyss.
The French, from the province of Quebec, may have reached as far before,
but Price and his companion believed they were the first who had
penetrated to that spot; and when they returned back to the settlements
their description of the unparalleled magnificence of the cataracts to
which Maiook gave the name of Niagara, or the thundering waters, was
deemed incredible.
But the wilderness has now been banished, and festivity and commerce have
there established themselves amidst the simple sublimity that
distinguishes this, the most impressive spectacle of the kind to be seen
on the whole earth.
I think the first virtue is to restrain the tongue: he
approaches nearest to the gods who knows how to be silent,
even though he is in the right.--