1 82 Niagara Falls, 



place in the vicinity of the Falls better adapted for a pic-nic 

 than this spot ; at the foot of the Heights is the little village 

 of Queenston, where the river again becomes navigable, and 

 on the opposite side lies the pretty town of Lewiston, nest- 

 ling in the hills. During the battle that took place here, the 

 Americans, under Captain Wool, having forced the Heights, 

 were unable to hold them, and before a charge of the British, 

 .personally directed by Brock, they gave way and fled in all 

 directions, some concealing themselves in the bushes, others 

 throwing themselves down the precipice, most of them 

 being either killed by the fall, or drowned while attempting 

 to swim the river. 



The vicinity of the Falls is rich in the classic ground of 

 battle-fields. Four miles distant is Chippawa, a pretty 

 village at the junction of the river of the same name with 

 the Niagara, whose waters being 'after rains of a muddy 

 colour, have the peculiarity of flowing side by side with 

 those of the Niagara without mingling, like the Ottawa and 

 St. Lawrence. Here in 1814, after a severe engagement, 

 the British forces under General Riall were met by the 

 American under General Brown, and compelled to retire to 

 Fort George, whence, having received reinforcements, they 

 again advanced, and the two armies met a second tim.e in a 

 place called Lundy's Lane, near Drummondville, where, 

 after fighting valiantly till midnight with various fortune, the 

 Americans were compelled to retire with heavy loss. It is 

 said that throughout the whole war no battle could compare 

 with this for t"he obstinacy and courage exhibited on both 

 sides, and though each party boasted a victory, altogether 

 too dearly bought, neither was disposed to renew the con- 

 flict. Fort Erie, nearly opposite Buffalo, is also memorable 

 in history for the assault made on it by the British in the 

 same year, but attended with great disaster, from the accidental 

 explosion of some ammunition, which resulted in a panic and 

 the loss of 900 men. The final consequence of this attack 



