MAGAEA FALLS. j^ 



This saoguinary name is derived from this cir- 

 cumnaDce : After the capture of Nia-rara by Sir 

 U. l,am Johnson, in the war of lui commonly 

 called the French war, an escort of thinv En^li^h 

 with waggons, were driven down lhis"precrpice 

 by an ambuscade of French and Indians, and all 

 killed, except one who broke through the enemv 

 and another who was caught by a tree on his de- 

 scent, and althoDgh miserably wounded, was 

 iiving a ky, year, ago to narrate the melancholy 

 event. -^ 



. -0 m.les from this place, is the ^.hirlporA o£ 

 the .^,agara, which exhibits the power of water ia 

 the most astonishing manner. When the lar-.e=t 

 trees of the forest are involved in the vorte^ of 

 tb,s fresh water Maelstrom, such is the fniy of its 

 verug,oous motion, that they are whirled round 

 with inconceivable velocity, and after bein^^ pre- 

 cipitated into the great abyss of water, and lo<t to 

 the eye for a considerable time, thev are either 

 ejected in tragments from their prison, or entirely 

 demolished. 



The celebrated cataract of .Niagara has been 

 dehneated by so many travellers who have vi=i,ed 

 n irom La Houtan, Hennepin, and Charlevoiv 

 down to Weld, Volney, and Schnltz. that I shaU 

 not attempt to add to the number bv a formal de 

 scnption. It has been the subject of paintin. a^ 



