Niagara Falls. 179 



mills of every description, and a busy town. The mills 

 materially mar the scenery by stopping the view, but their 

 commercial benefit to the neighbourhood makes up perhaps 

 for this fault. Contiguous to Goat Island, are Three Sister 

 Islands or Islets, breaking the current on the American 

 side. 



After the American war in 18 12, three large British ships, 

 stationed on Lake Erie, were condemned, and permission was 

 obtained to send them over the Falls ; the first was torn to 

 shivers by the rapids, and went over in pieces, the second 

 filled with water before she reached the Falls, but the third 

 took the leap gallantly, and retained her form till lost in the 

 cloud of mist below ; one fragment only of her was afterwards 

 found, a foot in length, smashed as if in a vice, and its edges 

 notched like the teeth of a saw. The steamer Caroline, 

 which conveyed munitions of war to Navy Island during the 

 rebellion of '38, was, after her seizure, set on fire and suffered 

 to drift down the Falls in flames. This must have been a 

 grand spectacle to see in the dead of night, the consuming 

 element lighting up with lurid glare in its descent the abyss 

 which an instant after extinguished it, leaving the darkness 

 more impenetrable than before. No fragments of her were 

 ever found. It is said that the Americans were repeatedly 

 warned, that unless the Caroline was withdrawn from this 

 illegal traffic, she would be seized ; but as no notice was 

 taken of the order, the British gallantly boarded and took 

 her, whilst she was moored at Fort Schlosser. In trying to 

 tow her across the river, the current proved too strong, and 

 the only alternative was to set her on fire and cut her adrift, 

 which was done, and the blazing vessel, whirling over rapids 

 and falls, came to its doom. 



About three miles below the Falls is a frightfully wild 

 spot called The Whirlpool. Here the current has formed 

 a circular excavation, the water rushing into the vortex with 

 furious impetuosity, sweeps wildly past the sides of the 



