Vol i909^ VI ] Cole, Destruction of Birds at Niagara Falls 65 



endeavour with all their might to take wing and leave the water, 

 but they cannot. In the months of September and October fuch 

 abundant quantities of dead waterfowl are found every morning 

 below the Fall, on the fhore, that the garrifon of the fort for a long 

 time live chiefly upon them; befides the fowl, they find alfo feveral 

 forts of dead fifh, alfo deer, bears, and other animals which have 

 tried to crofs the water above the fall; the larger animals are gen- 

 erally found broken to pieces." 



Further on he adds: "I was told at Ofwego, that in October, 

 or thereabouts, fuch plenty of feathers are to be found here below 

 the Fall, that a man in a days time can gather enough of them for 

 feveral beds, which feathers they faid came off the birds kill'd at 

 the Fall. I ask'd the French, if this was true ? They told me they 

 had never feen any fuch thing; but that if the feathers were pick'd 

 off the dead birds, there; might be fuch a quantity." 



Kalm remarks that "It was formerly thought impoffible for any 

 body living to come at the If land that is in the middle of the fall" 

 (Goat Island), but relates that, some 12 years or so previous to his 

 visit, two Indians in a canoe drifted down the river by accident, 

 and managed to land on the island. After ineffectual efforts to 

 get off, in the course of which they made "a ladder or fhrouds of 

 the bark of lindentree (which is very tough and ftrong)" and de- 

 scended to the foot of the Fall, only to be dashed back when they 

 attempted to swim ashore, they were finally rescued, when they 

 had been there nine days and were almost starved, by other Indians, 

 who waded across to the island with the help of poles pointed with 

 iron. Kalm adds, in his letter to his friend: "Now fince the way 

 to this if land has been found, the Indians go there often to kill 

 deer, which having tried to crofs the, river above the fall, were 

 driven upon the ifland by the ftream: but if the King of France 

 would give me all Canada, I would not venture to go to this ifland ; 

 and were you to fee it, Sir, I am fure you would have the fame 

 fentiment." 



