At Niagara FaUs in 1750 



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u IVI.r Kulm. a Sw.Ul^h iiaiui 

 H-i-u rnlli'tl "Ihf fnlliir <if l..iiiiiiv. 

 in I'M vUlli'd Nlniinrii KhIIm.' 



letter, nnd tliiit Uartrnui oak (<iiiercu$ hclerophylla/ wi 

 wa» written. 



Albnny, Sopt. 2, 1750: — After a pretty long journey mmle in n 

 short time, I am oomc back to this town. You may remember that 

 when I took my leave of you, I told you I would this summer, if 

 time jH'rmitted, take n view of Niagara Falls, esteemed one of tha 

 greatest curiosities in the world. When I came Inst year from Que- 

 bec you inquired of me several particulars concerning this fall, 

 and I told you what I heard of it in Canada from several French 

 gentlemen who had been there; but this was still all hearsay. I 

 could not assure you of the truth of it, because I had not then 

 seen it myself, so it could not satisfy my own, much less your curi- 

 osity. Now, since I have been on the spot, it is in my power to give 

 you a more perfect and satisfactory description of it. 



After a fatiguing travel, first on horseback through the country 

 of the Six Nations to Oswego, and thence in a canoe upon Lake 

 Ontario, I came on the 14th of August in the evening to Niagara 

 Fort. 



The French there seemed much perplexed at my first coming, 

 imagining I was an English officer, who, under pretext of seeing 

 Niagara Falls, came with some other view; but as soon as I had 

 showed them my passports, they changed their behavior and received 

 me with the greatest civility. 



Niagara Falls is six French leagues from Niagara Fort. You 

 first go three leagues by water up Niagara river, and then three 



I unmed (oi the mnn to whom 



leagues over the carrying place. As it was late when I arrived nt 

 the fort, I could not the same day go to the fall, but I jircparcil 

 myself to do it the next morning. The commandant of the fort, 

 Monsr. Beaujon, invited all officers and gentlemen there to supper 

 with him. I had road formerly almost all tim authors who have writ- 

 ten anything about this fall, and tlio Inst year in Canada had made 

 so many inquiries about it that I thought I hod a pretty good iil<>a 

 of it; and now at supper requested the gentlemen to tell me all they 

 knew and thought worth notice relating to it, which they accord- 

 ingly did. 



Assistance from the French 



I observed that in many things they all agreed; in some things 

 they were of different opinions, of all of which I took particular 

 notice. When they had told me all they knew, I made several 

 quiries to them concerning what 1 had read and heard of i», 

 whether such and such a thing were true or not, and had their an- 

 swers on every circumstance. But as I have found by experience 

 in my travels, and that very few observe nature's work with ac- 

 curacy, or report the truth precisely, I cannot now be entirely 

 satisfied without seeing with my own eyes whenever it is in my power. 



Accordingly, the next morning at break of day I set out for the 

 fall. The commandant had given orders to two of the officers of the 

 fort to go with me and show me everything, and also sent by them 







