Niagara Falls 



1785 and near 30 feet high. We were obliged to make use of an 

 revecoucr mc jj an ladder, which is simply two straight trees in which, with 

 their tomahawks or hatchets they cut notches at 1 2 or 15 inches 

 from each other. In these notches you put your feet and by 

 this means we got to the bottom. We now found our route 

 more difficult, being obliged to change our course in different 

 directions, according as we thought it could accelerate our 

 passage, sometimes we crept on all fours for many yards together, 

 passing through holes in the rocks, which would scarce admit our 

 bodies. At other times we absolutely passed under the roots of 

 trees which had been hollowed by the savages who have made 

 this indian path in order to amuse themselves with fishing, which 

 is a very favorite amusement. At some seasons fishes are found 

 here in great plenty, and then many hundred savages frequent it. 

 We had now been near an hour in descending and but a very 

 small part of our difficulty overcome. We were arrived upon 

 a broken shelve of rocks which had fallen from above in the 

 spring of the year when the ice began to thaw, the rocks being 

 loosened. It is from the expansion of the fissures which have 

 snow and water in them during the winter, and melting in the 

 spring of the year produces this effect. There have been in- 

 stances of persons losing their lives or being lamed from the 

 falling of these pieces, some of which would weigh many tons. 

 At this period of the year there was little danger. We were 

 nearly a mile and a half from the foot of the cataract, and the 

 whole way back was strewed with these broken pieces of stone, 

 and owing to the great declivity to the river we were in fear of 

 falling in, as the stones sometimes gave away, and the only way 

 to save ourselves was by laying down, by which we frequently 

 were hurt. The pending rocks above us added much to the 

 horrors of our situation, for knowing those under our feet had 

 fallen at different periods, we could not divest ourselves of appre- 

 hension. However we encouraged each other with the idea of 

 surmounting the same difficulties which others had done before 

 us. We came at last to the two small falls which I have men- 



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