The Falls of Niagara. 1 1 7 



Art. III. On the Falls of Niagara, and on the Physical Structure 

 of the adjacent Country, By Mr, Robert Bakewell, Jun. 



Sir, 



During 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 pictorial 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. 



I am, Sir, yours, &c. 



Robert Bakewell, Sen, 

 Hampsteady Jan, 4. 1830. 

 t 



On 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 1 5 miles. The surface of 

 the country was flat and uninteresting, and gave little indication 

 of the scene we were fast approaching. We watched, with 



I 3 



