84 EMIGRATION, OR 



than a single piece of machinery ; and this, in a situation as a 

 central point for commerce and communication with Europe, 

 and the whole of North America, not to be equalled : indeed, 

 every thing- seems most admirably adapted by nature for the 

 health, comfort, security, convenience, and trade, of the 

 metropolis of a flourishing country. The Americans have 

 established a manufactory on their side of the Falls, and 

 likewise considerable machinery for various purposes, to take 

 the advantages offered by the Erie Canal : and, although I 

 have not heard that they contemplate the appropriation of 

 any great portion of this immense and economical power to 

 manufactories, the present use they make of it will soon 

 suggest to th&quot;em a more extensive application. Nature has 

 been lavish in the advantages conferred on the Canadian side 

 of the Niagara river over the American, through its whole 

 route : the best harbours (indeed there is not a good one on 

 the other side), the best view of the Falls, the nearest and 

 best natural roads, and, generally speaking, the best land. 



Jan. 12. Stopped at a Dutch farmer s to sleep, and this 

 morning crossed Grand River on the ice, when I passed a 

 number of sleighs loaded with the machinery of a steam- 

 engine for a mill ; slept again at another Dutch farmer s, 

 whose family have rather more than common primitive 

 appearance : the men with long hair, hanging down over 

 their shoulders, and parted over the forehead, and a home 

 spun dress nearly of the cut of the Quaker, to which sect I 

 at first thought they belonged, as they had a silent grace 

 before and after meals. I have since learned they are 

 Durikards or Menonists, and I was cordially invited to par 

 take of their simple fare. One of the men was communica 

 tive : he was going with a sleigh load of wheat to fhe head 

 of Lake Ontario (thirty-five miles) to store it till the spring, 

 expecting an advance in price then. The Dutch in general 

 are in pretty good circumstances, living in large substantial 

 though plain-built houses ; built with a stoop, that is, the 

 roof projecting considerably over for shade in front of the 

 house ; this is rather common in America ; the Dutch hang 

 the horses harness and ox-yokes, and other implements of 

 husbandry, under them, on pegs driven into the wall of the 

 house ; and having very large barns, and generally good 

 yards and other convenient out-buildings for cattle, &c. In 

 this house, and in that which I slept last night, they had 

 large log fires on the hearth, besides a large stove in the 



