Niagara Falls 

 1750 in my power to give you a more perfect and satisfactory descrip- 



Kalm . f . 



tion or it. 



After a fatiguing travel, first on horseback thro' the country of 

 the Six Indian Nations, to Oswego, and from thence in a canoe 

 upon lake Ontario, I came on the 12th of August in the evening 

 to Niagara Fort. The French there seemed much perplexed at my 

 first coming, imagining I was an English officer, who under pre- 

 text of seeing Niagara Falls, came with some other view; but as 

 soon as I shew'd them my passports, they chang'd their behaviour, 

 and received me with the greatest civility. Niagara Fall is six 

 French leagues from Niagara Fort, you first go three leagues 

 by water up Niagara river, and then three leagues over the carry- 

 ing place. As it was late when I arriv'd at the Fort, I could not 

 the same day go to the Fall, but I prepared myself to do it the 

 next morning. The commandant of the Fort, Monsr. Beaujon, 

 invited all the officers and gentlemen there to supper with him. I 

 had read formerly almost all the authors that have wrote any thing 

 about this Fall ; and the last year in Canada, had made so many 

 enquiries about it, that I thought I had a pretty good Idea of it, 

 and now at supper, requested the gentlemen to tell me all they 

 knew and thought worth notice relating to it, which they 

 accordingly did. I observed that in many things they all agreed, 

 in some things they were of different opinions, of all which I 

 took particular notice. When they had told me all they knew, 

 I made several queries to them concerning what I had read and 

 heard of it, whether such and such a thing was true or not? and 

 had their answers on every circumstance. But as I have found 

 by experience in my other travels, that very few observe nature's 

 works with accuracy, or report the truth precisely, I cannot now 

 be entirely satisfied without seeing with my own eyes whenever 

 'tis in my power, Accordingly the next morning, being the 1 3th 

 of August, at break of day, I set out for the Fall. The com- 

 mandant had given orders to two of the Officers of the Fort to go 

 with me and show me every thing, and also sent by them an 

 order to Monsr. Jonqueire, who had liv'd ten years by the carry- 



54 



