The English Period 



but goes all in circles and whirls like a boiling pot; which how- 1750 

 ever doth not hinder the Indians going upon it in small canoes am 

 a fishing; but a little lower begins the smaller fall. When you 

 are above the fall, and look down, your head begins to turn; 

 the French who have been here 1 00 times, will seldom venture to 

 look down, without at the same time keeping fast hold of some 

 tree with one hand. 



It was formerly thought impossible for any body living to 

 come at the Island that is in the middle of the fall : but an accident 

 that happen'd twelve years ago, or thereabouts, made it appear 

 otherwise. The history is this. Two Indians of the Six Nations 

 went out from Niagara fort, to hunt upon an island that is in 

 the middle of the river, or strait, above the great fall, on which 

 there used to be abundance of deer. They took some French 

 brandy with them, from the fort, which they tasted several times 

 as they were going over the carrying place; and when they were 

 in the canoe, they took now and then a dram, and so went along 

 up the strait towards the Island where they propos'd to hunt; 

 but growing sleepy, they laid themselves down in the canoe, 

 which getting loose drove back with the stream, farther and 

 farther down till it came nigh that island that is in the middle of 

 the fall. Here one of them, awakened by the noise of the fall, 

 cries out to the other, that they were gone! yet they try'd if 

 possible to savelife. This island was nighest, and with much 

 working they got on shore there. At first they were glad; but 

 when they had consider'd every thing, they thought themselves 

 hardly in a better state than if they had gone down the fall, 

 since they had now no other choice, than either to throw them- 

 selves down the same, or to perish with hunger. But hard 

 necessity put them on invention. At the lower end of the island 

 the rock is perpendicular, and no water is running there. This 

 island has plenty of wood, they went to work directly and made 

 a ladder or shrouds of the bark of lindentree, (which is very 

 tough and strong,) so long 'till they could with it reach the water 

 below; one end of this bark ladder they tied fast to a great tree 



59 



