CANADIAN HOESE.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[CANADIAN HOESE. 



a mile from where the river Niagara escapes 

 over a barrier of rock from the depths of Lake 

 Erie, a ferry has long been established across 

 that broad, and there exceedingly rapid, river; 

 the distance from shore to shore being a little 

 over one-third of a mile. On the Canada side 

 of the river is the small village of Waterloo ; 

 and opposite thereto, on the United States' 

 side, is the large river of Black Eock, distant 

 from the young and flourishing city of Buifalo 

 two miles. In completing the Erie canal, a 

 pier or dam was erected — up and down the 

 river, and opposite to Black Eock, at no great 

 distance from the shore, for the purpose of 

 raising the waters of the Niagara to such a 

 height that they might be made to supply an 

 adjoining section of the Erie canal. This pier 

 was a great obstruction to the ferry-boats ; for, 

 previous to its erection, passengers embarked 

 from terra firma on one side of the river, and 

 were landed, without any difficulty, on the 

 other ; but, after this dam was constructed, it 

 became necessary to employ two sets of boats 

 — one to navigate the river, and the other the 

 basin ; so that all passengers, as well as goods 

 or luggage, had to be landed on this narrow 

 wall, and reshipped. Shortly after the erection 

 of the pier- dam, a boat, propelled by horses, 

 was established between this pier and the 

 Canada shore. The horses moved upon a 

 circular platform, which, consequently, was put 

 in motion ; to which other machinery was con- 

 nected, that acted upon paddle-wheels attached 

 to the sides of the boat. The boat belonged 

 to persons connected with the ferry on the 

 American side of the river ; but, owing to the 

 barrier formed by the pier, the horses employed 

 on the boat were stabled at night in the village 

 of Waterloo. The two horses — for that boat 

 had but two — worked admirably, considering 

 the very few lessons they had had previous to 

 their introduction upon the main river. One 

 of the horses employed on the new ferry-boat, 

 had once been a dapple-grey; but, at the 

 period I am speaking of, he had become white. 

 He was still hale and hearty, for he had a kind 

 and indulgent master. 



" The first evening after the horses had been 

 a short time in the stable to which they were 

 strangers, they were brought out for the purpose 

 of being watered at the river — the common 

 custom of this place. The attendant was 

 50 



mounted on the bay horse ; the white one was 

 known to be so gentle and docile that he was 

 allowed to drink where he pleased. I hap- 

 pened to be standing close by, in company with 



my friend W , the ferry contractor of the 



Canada side, and thus had an opportunity of 

 witnessing the whole proceedings of " Old 

 Grizzle," the name that the white horse still 

 went by. The moment he got round the 

 corner of the building, so as to have a view of 

 his home on the opposite side, he stopped 

 and gazed intently. He then advanced to the 

 brink of the river, when he again stopped, and 

 looked earnestly across for a short time ; then 

 waded into the water until it had reached his 

 chest — drank a little, lifted his head, and, with 

 his lips closed, and his eyes fixed upon some 

 object upon the furthest shore, remained for a 

 short time perfectly motionless. Apparently 

 having made up his mind to the task, he then 

 waded further into the river until the water 

 reached his ribs, when oif he shot into the 

 deep water without hesitation. The current 

 being so strong and rapid — the river boiling 

 and turmoiling over a rocky bed, at the rate 

 of six miles an hour — it was impossible for the 

 courageous and attached animal to keep a 

 direct course across, although he breasted the 

 waves heroically, and swam with remarkable 

 vigour. Had he been able to steer his way 

 directly across, the pier-wall would have 

 proved an insurmountable barrier. As it was, 

 the strength of the current forced him down 

 to below where the lower extremity of this 

 long pier abuts upon an island, the shore of 

 which being low and shelving, he was enabled 

 to effect a landing with comparative ease. 

 Having regained terra firma, he shook the 

 water from his dripping flanks ; but he did not 

 halt over a few minutes, when he plunged into 

 the basin, and soon regained his native shot-e. 

 The distance from where Grizzle took the 

 water, to where he effected a landing on the 

 island, was about seven hundred yards ; but 

 the efforts made to swim directly across against 

 the powerful current, must have rendered the 

 undertaking a much more laborious one. At 

 the commencement of his voyage, his arched 

 neck and withers were above the surface ; but 

 before he gained the island, his head only 

 was visible. He reached his own-stable door — ■ 

 that home for which he had risked so much — 



