NIAGARA FALLS. 209 



been inevitably can ied down. Some boys, anx- 

 ious to see her swept down the cataract, and im- 

 patient at the delay, threw stones at her. This 

 indicated the way of escape, and she immediately 

 returned in that direction. 



The passage of the river below the cataract is 

 not considered dangerous. There is a boat sta- 

 tioned there for the conveyance of passengers, in 

 which I have passed. During the late war smug- 

 gling was carried on in that direction in the 

 night time, and before a ladder was erected on 

 the east bank, people frequently passed over from 

 Canada to steal apples at Fort Schlosser, 



But I see, my friend, that you are not only 

 tired of the subject, but of the manner in which I 

 have handled it. A description of this mighty 

 cataract is the Ulyssean bow of travellers. I 

 could say much more, but I shall only trespass 

 further on your patience by stating that 1 have 

 been credibly informed, that Dr. Kerr, an intelli- 

 gent and respectable inhabitant of Bridgewater^ 

 who has resided in Upper Canada thirty years, 

 marked a tree at that time on each shore of the 

 cataract, and now believes that there has been a 

 retrocession of 150 feet in his time, chiefly at the 

 centre of the crescent. You can see immense 

 piles of stones thrown down at the foot of the 



