Chapter XII 



OPEN ROAD — GUIDES — RAILROADS — CANALS — 



BRIDGES 



1755-1760 



PoUCHOT, M . Memoir upon the late war in North America, 1755-60 



between the French and English, 1 755-60; followed by observations upon Pouchot 

 the theatre of actual war, and by new details concerning the manners and 

 customs of the Indians; with topographical maps. Translated and edited 

 by Franklin R. Hough. Roxbury, Mass. : W. Elliott Woodward. 1 866. 

 2:153-156. 



The passage by way of the Niagara, is the most frequented on 

 the continent of America, because this tongue of land commu- 

 nicates with three great lakes, and the navigation leads all the 

 Indians to pass this place, wherever they may wish to go. 

 Niagara is therefore the centre of trade between the Indians and 

 Europeans, and great numbers come thither of their own accord 

 from all parts of the continent. 



Vessels cannot winter in the Niagara River, because they are 

 continually cut by the ice coming from Lake Erie, from the month 

 of December to the beginning of March. There might, however, 

 be made a port of shelter on the west side at Mascoutin Point. 



The river from its mouth, to a distance of three leagues above, 

 to the place named Le Platon, has a channel about four hundred 

 toises wide; the current is gentle, and it has a depth sufficient to 

 bear a frigate as far as to the Platon, and to anchor any where 

 along this distance. It has three bends in this course, each of a 

 league, which gives a fine view to Niagara. The river flows for 

 three leagues between two rocks, almost perpendicular and two or 

 three hundred toises high, with such great force that it cannot be 

 navigated between the Platon, and the basin under the 

 falls. . . . 



There is a wagon road from Fort Niagara to the Platon, but 

 they generally go by water in summer. In winter they are always 



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