Niagara Falls 



1833-1834 



1833-34 ABDY, Edward Street. Journal of a residence and tour in the 



Abdy United States of North America, from April, 1833, to October, 1834. 



Lond.: John Murray. 1853. 1:286-294. 



The author, who is a good observer, seriously objected to the desecra- 

 tion of the Falls. 



I could not, on recrossing the ferry, but lament, as I had done 

 before, that a barbarous and sacrilegious hand had been per- 

 mitted to outrage every feeling of taste, congruities or common 

 sense, by placing a wooden bridge and a circular building, like 

 a shot-tower, directly over one of the falls. Every person who 

 has the slightest pretension to anything like susceptibility of tender 

 or lofty emotions from the view of external objects, should have 

 protested against the wild schemes of a " money-changer," that 

 have marred the simplicity and purity of this " solemn temple " — 

 interrupting the devotion of the worshipper, and mingling with his 

 admiration of the Divine architect disgust at the arts and con- 

 trivances of unfeeling trade and avaricious speculation. The 

 name of this Vandal is, I believe, Porter. It is to him that the 

 island, with its appurtenances, belongs; and it is for the sake of 

 extracting a few additional dollars from the pockets of the curi- 

 ous, that this vile sacrilege has been committed. 



1834 



1834 Reed, Andrew and Matheson, James. A narrative of the visit 



Reed & to the American churches by the deputation from the Congregational union 



of England and Wales. Lond.: Jackson & Walford. 1835. 

 1:116-129. 



Written in the form of letters. 



I am sorry, in closing, that I cannot say much for the taste 

 either of the visitors or inhabitants of this spot. The visitors 

 seemed to regard the Falls rather as an object of curiosity than 

 otherwise, and when they had satisfied their curiosity (which in 

 most cases was very quickly done), and could report that they 

 had seen them, the duty was discharged. Such persons drove in 



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Math 



eson 



