The French Period 



1753 



B (ONNEFONs), J. C. Voyage au Canada dans le Nord de l'Ameri- 1753 

 que Septentrionale fait depuis l'an 1751 a 1761. Quebec: Imprimerie B(onnefon») 

 Leger Brousseau. 1887. (Abbe H. R. Casgrain, ed.) P. 57-61. 



L*auteur pourait bien etre M. Bonnefons, qui servit sous 

 Pouchet et parait avoir eu sa confiance; c'est l'opinion de nos 

 erudits, particulierement de l'abbe Verreault. 



SEVERANCE, FRANK HAYWARD. Adventures of M. Bonnefons, 1753 

 1753. (Severance, Studies of the Niagara frontier, pp. 335-339.) Severance 



The next day, April 12th [1753], we went on by land. 

 From Fort Niagara we ascended the three mountains which are 

 at the west of the fort and on the top of each of which we 

 found a level space formed of flat rock, very even, which makes 

 a resting place for travelers who pass there. It is about two 

 leagues from the bottom to the top of the mountains. When we 

 had reached the top we had to rest, after which we continued 

 to march. At a quarter of a league to the north of the last 

 mountain is the famous fall of Niagara, the noise of which may 

 be heard nearly three leagues. At the place to the south of 

 where we were was a little station, newly established, for the 

 building of batteaux and canoes needed for the navigation of 

 Lake Erie. This station was named Toronto, the English gave 

 to it that of Scuyler or Sckuiler. At the time of our passage 

 there was there a garrison of forty men, Canadians, all boat car- 

 penters. We rested there three days, during which they loaded 

 the provisions, ammunition and goods which we had to take 

 with us to the upper end of Lake Erie. 



The curiosity permitted to travelers made me wish to visit 

 the Niagara fall, which I had heard spoken of as a marvelous 

 curiosity. I was one of three to go there. I examined this 

 astonishing cataract, which has the form of a crescent, a quarter 

 of a league in extent. They give to it the height, according to 

 common report, of 180 feet. It is the discharge of Lake Erie, 

 and receives its waters, which it throws into the strait or river 

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