The Falls of Niagara. FIZ 
Art. III. On the Falls of Niagara, and on the Physical Structure 
of the adjacent Country. By Mr. Roperr BAKEWELL, Jun. 
Sir, 
Dunrine a visit of six days which my son made to the 
Falls of Niagara, the last summer, among other sketches of 
the scenery, he drew a few pictorial maps, chiefly with the 
intent of explaining to me the structure of the adjacent coun- 
try, and the stations he had visited. ‘These maps, with the 
annexed description, gave me a much more definite idea of 
this extraordinary place than any accounts I had previously 
perused ; and I recommended him to transmit them for inser- 
tion in the Magazine of Natural History. The subject pos- 
sesses peculiar interest at the present time, from its connection 
with the enquiry actively going on in this country, respecting 
the extent of atmospheric agency, and that of rivers and tor- 
rents, in modifying the surface of the globe. It may be proper 
to remark, that a strict regard to proportions has been dis- 
pensed with in the pictor ial maps, in order to present all the 
leading features of each place in one view. In a note sub- 
joined at the end, I have given a brief account of the rock 
specimens my son brought from Niagara. 
Iam, Sir, yours, &c. 
RogBert BAKEWELL, Sen. 
Hampstead, Jan. 4. 1830. 
Ow arriving at Buffalo, a small town near the northern 
extremity of Lake Erie, I was informed, by several travellers 
from Niagara, that the best station for remaining a few days, 
and viewing the Falls, was on the Canada side of the river. 
I therefore took the first conveyance which presented itself, 
and, in company with an American gentleman who had tra- 
velled with me from New Orleans, set off in joyous expect- 
ation of seeing, in a few hours, one of the most sublime scenes 
known on this side the world. About five miles from Buf- 
falo, we came to the ferry at the Black Rock, and crossed over 
the river Niagara, which connects Lake Erie with Lake On- 
tario. Here we saw a number of Indians fishing, with con- 
siderable success, with the rod and line. The breadth of the 
river is about a quarter of a mile, and the stream very rapid. 
The boat was worked across by a horse, walking on a circular 
inclined plane, which turned two wheels fixed on each side of 
the boat. A coach was in readiness at Waterloo to take us 
to the Falls: the distance is about 15 miles. The surface of 
the country was flat and uninteresting, and gave little indication 
of the scene we were fast approaching. We watched, with 
ro 
