À THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
St. Mary’s Isle on the Solway Firth, Kirkcudbright, Scotland. These 
Diaries and many other papers of the Earl of Selkirk, were sent to 
Edinburgh and copied there for the Canadian Government, the copies 
being now found in the Canadian Archives, Ottawa. They comprise 
some 80 or 90,000 words, and are well worth reading. The Extracts 
given in the present paper are taken chiefly from diaries Nos. 3 and 4. 
The writer occasionally throws in, as editor, a remark or explanation. 
Tuesday, Nov. 15th, 1803. 
Left Buffaloe creek (present city of Buffalo, N.Y.) a settlement 
of some years’ standing . . . . 8 or 10 comfortable houses and an 
inn comparing well with the last three (in New York State) in which 
I had been . . . . Two miles from Buffaloe crossed the Niagara 
River and entered Canada, and thence took a beautiful ride to Chip- 
pewa . . . . The settlement is a mixture of American Loyalists 
with many Lowland Scotch, some Dutch from Albany, and a few 
Canadians. . . . . This settlement was begun immediately after 
the peace of 1783. . . . Little of the land is yet free from stumps. . 
Fort Erie is no fort, but a blockhouse or two and a dozen of other 
houses inclosed with a palisade. 
Boats are employed between Chippewa and Fort Erie. At Chip- 
pewa is a village and a block-house; and a mile below is a considerable 
set of mills. 
Niagara Falls. 
The great fall goes indeed beyond imagination, and exceeded every 
idea I had formed of its grandeur; the most striking effect is when you 
approach very near, which can be done at the Table Rock (now fallen 
in. Ed.) above and below the cliff; along the top of the banks are very 
admirable general views but it is the near approach which is awfully 
sublime. 
Queenston. 
I arrived late at Queenston, where Istayed. . . . . Mr. Hamil- 
ton here is a very respectable and intelligent man, and of very liberal 
ideas. ; 
Transportation from vessel below Queenston to Niagara. Price 
given. . . . . There are on Lake Ontario six merchant vessels, 
from 40 to 90 tons, which go ten or twelve trips a year from Kingston 
to Niagara. 
