64 Cole, Destruction of Birds at Niagara Falls. [f^- 



of his "Travels from Pensilvania to Onondago, Oswego and the 

 Lake Ontario," in which Kalm's letter was first published. Kalm 

 gives a really excellent description of the Falls, and one which is 

 very temperate throughout, a characteristic none too common in the 

 accounts of the early travellers. Kalm, in fact, apparently prides 

 himself on this attitude, for he says in his letter, after stating 

 that he has obtained all the information he could by question- 

 ing the French at Fort Niagara: "But as I have found by experi- 

 ence in my other travels, and that very few obferve nature's works 

 with accuracy, or report the truth precifely, I cannot now be entirely 

 fatisfied without feeing with my own eyes whenever 'tis in my 

 power." He says of Father Hennepin, who had previously given 

 the height of the Falls as 600 feet; "but he has gained little credit 

 in Canada; the name of honour they give him there, is un grand 

 Menteur, or The great Liar; he writes of what he faw in places 



where he never was For my part, who am not fond of 



the Marvellous, I like to fee things juft as they are, and fo to relate 

 them." He himself gives 137 feet as the height (on the authority 

 of "the king's engineer in Canada"), which is considerably under 

 the present measurements. 



Of the loss of bird life at the Falls he says: "Several of the 

 French gentlemen told me, that when birds come flying into this 

 fog or smoak of the fall [the mist from the cataract], they fall down 

 and perifh in the Water; either becaufe their wings are become 

 wet, or that the noife of the fall aftonifhes them, and they know 

 not where to go in the Dark: but others were of opinion, that 

 feldom or never any bird perifhes there in that manner; becaufe, 

 as they all agreed, among the abundance of birds found dead below 

 the fall, there are no other forts than fuch as live and fwim frequently 

 in the water; as fwans, geefe, ducks, water-hens, teal, and the 

 like. And very often great flocks of them are feen going to de- 

 ftruction in this manner: they fwim in the river above the fall, and 

 fo are carried down lower and lower by the water, and as water-fowl 

 commonly take great delight in being carry' d with the ftream, fo 

 here they indulge themfelves in enjoying this pleafure fo long, 

 till the fwiftnefs of the water becomes fo great, that 'tis no longer 

 poffible for them to rife, but they are driven down the precipice, 

 and perifh. They are obferv'd when they draw nigh the fall, to 



