26 Whirlpool and Rapids below the Falls of Niagara. 



flowed over these projecting bare rocks, in descending, spread 

 out into magnificent festoons. The beautiful feature which 

 I formerly saw has disappeared. To this it may be said, that 

 the waters of Lake Erie were unusually low in 1846, and 

 this may account for the retreat. But I would reply, that no 

 diminution was indicated by the banks of the river. I was told 

 in 1829, by one who had resided there forty years, that a differ- 

 ence of level was perceptible only when a strong southwest wind 

 sweeps over the wide expanse of Lake Erie, driving its waters 

 into the mouth of the river. Not having made a very careful 

 outline of the edge of the American fall, I am not prepared to say, 

 whether any material change had taken place, with the exception 

 of its being apparently more broken in the centre, where the cut- 

 ting process appears to go on with great activity. It is stated by 

 residents there, that a considerable alteration had taken place, 

 from the falling of masses of limestone rock from the middle of the 

 cataract. That a constant change is in progress no one can 

 doubt who carefully examines for himself as he wanders over 

 this wonderful scene. I was particularly impressed with its 

 magnificence while making a drawing of what is called the 

 cave, situated half a mile below the ferry on the American side. 

 This cave or ledge of bare rock, has just the appearance that 

 the rocks over which the American falls are now precipitated, 

 would present, if the waters were suddenly withdraicn. The 

 same broken outline appears in both instances, giving evidence 

 that in each case the most violent action had been in the centre. 

 When the cataract was here, the space between the American 

 fall and the commencement of the ' cave', was in all probability, 

 an island, presenting a similar appearance to what the falls now 

 have. There is still a small stream flowing down the precipice 

 where once a mighty torrent fell. 



What surprised me much on my second visit, was the compara- 

 tive stillness in which the mighty work of discharging the surplus 

 waters of so many inland seas down a precipice of one hundred 

 and eighty feet was carried on. In father Hennepin's curiously 

 interesting description of this "vast and prodigious cadence of 

 water," he represents himself or his friends as being so overcome 

 by the noise, that the hands were applied to the ears by way of 

 dampers. The marvel to me is, that they make so little noise. 

 It cannot be denied, however, that the state of the atmosphere 

 and direction of wind, have much to do in regulating the sound 

 produced by the fall of this immense body of water. 



After these preliminary remarks, I will now confine myself 

 more particularly to the object for which this communication was 

 undertaken, which was to offer some observations on the whirl- 

 pool, as well as on the rapids below the falls, and to assign a 

 probable cause for their existence. If in doing this I should be 





