Niagara Falls 



1808 I had forgotten it. I heard of it by chance, from my conductor 

 -] at the Table Rock telling me of some one who lived near the 



whirlpool. A traveller must inquire for himself, he can not 

 count upon being told of anything worth seeing at Chippeway. 

 The man who conducted me was a German; he had lived for 

 some years thereabout as a farming servant, at six dollars per 

 month and board, which I mention as an item of the price of 

 labour. 



V/l Returned from Thompson's to (three miles) Queens- 

 town. This is situated at the bottom of the hill; that is from 

 one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet below the road which 

 leads from Lake Erie. This road has a gentle descent all the 

 way from Lake Erie hither; but here it falls abruptly into a 

 bottom thus much below its own level. It is highly probable that 

 at some far remote period, the great falls were at this place ; for 

 here is the commencement or the termination (call it which you 

 will) of the higher level. The river here begins to widen, and 

 admits of being ferryed; but even the ferrying place has several 

 eddies in it. 



Queenstown is a pleasant village of about sixteen or eighteen 

 houses. I stopped at Banister's, a civil man, from Massachu- 

 setts. I got a pint of excellent port, which more majorum I find 

 to be the fashionable wine among the Anglo Canadians. 



This is a place of trade, being the commencement of the 

 portage round the falls. Banister pays about twelve shillings 

 sterling a year for direct taxes of all kinds. The military and 

 judiciary are paid by the crown. Judge Hamilton, who died 

 lately, and had very large property, was assessed at no more. 

 The imported goods come by way of Montreal. For tea they 

 give one dollar and a half per pound, loaf sugar three shilling 

 (Newyork currency). For my wine he charged me five shillings, 

 but it was good. At Batavia I got Mr. Ellicott to change my 

 Pennsylvania notes, for the notes current in Newyork state; but 

 I found notes of no kind current in Canada. They trade for coin. 

 They have no bank; and they dislike our notes. No wonder. 



1200 



