Falls of Niagara. 109 



down the river, which appeared quite calm. I descended 

 a flight of about seventy steps, and walked and crouched 

 on my hams along a rugged, slippery path to the edge of 

 the river, where a man and skiff are always waiting to 

 take visitors to the opposite shore. I approached as 

 near the falling water as I could, without losing sight of 

 the objects behind me. In a few moments my clothes 

 were wet. I retired a few hundred yards to admire two 

 beautiful rainbows, which seemed to surround me, and 

 also looked as if spanning obliquely from the American 

 to the Canadian shore. Visitors can walk under the 

 falling sheet of water, and see through it, while at their 

 feet are thousands of eels lying side by side, trying vainly 

 to ascend the torrent. 



" I afterwards strolled through the village to find 

 some bread and milk, and ate a good dinner for twelve 

 cents. Went to bed at night thinking of Franklin eating 

 his roll in the streets of Philadelphia, of Goldsmith trav- 

 elling by the help of his musical powers, and of other 

 great men who had worked their way through hardships 

 and difficulties to fame, and fell asleep, hoping, by perse- 

 vering industry, to make a name for myself among my 

 countrymen. 



''^Buffalo, August 25. This village was utterly de- 

 stroyed by fire in the war of eighteen hundred and 

 twelve, but now has about two hundred houses, a bank, 

 and daily mail. It is now filled with Indians, who have 

 come here to receive their annuity from the government. 

 The chief Red Jacket is a noble-looking man ; another, 

 called the Devil's Ramrod, has a savage look. Took a 

 deck-passage on board a schooner bound to Erie, Penn- 

 sylvania ; fare, one dollar and fifty cents, to furnish my 

 own bed and provisions ; my buffalo-robe and blanket 

 served for the former. The captain invited me to sleep 

 in the cabin, but I declined, as I never encroach where I 



