The English Period 



Here some of our party wished to go down to the bottom, a 1787 

 thing very soldom done on this side, as well from the difficulty 

 of the descent as that when down your view is by no means so 

 good as on the opposite side. It was however agreed upon to 

 make the attempt, preparatory to which Mr. Hamilton made us 

 all take off our shoes as in many places it is so very slippery it 

 would have been more dangerous to attempt with them on. Our 

 party now consisted of Mr. H. our guide, Mr. Douglas of the 

 65th and Mr. Brunton of the same Regiment, myself, and last 

 of all Mr. Humphry. We all with great difficulty got down 

 about one third part of the way. But when I saw the path by 

 which I was to descend further I gave it up telling Mr. Humphry 

 that if he choose to go further I would get out of his way which 

 I accordingly did and he descended as low as I had done where 

 like me he gave up the point. The other three gentlemen com- 

 pleted their design and on their return very candidly allowed, 

 although they were well pleased with what they had done now 

 it was over, they would by no means attempt it again until ropes 

 or something more secure were placed in the most dangerous 

 parts, as in some of the steepest parts they were obliged to let 

 themselves down by means of twisted stick, in the manner of 

 a faggot band, which was tied to an old stump above, which 

 stick had been then in use for three years. Mr. H. indeed went 

 further and acknowledged that on reflection when at the bottom 

 he entertained some doubts their being able to reascend. How- 

 ever, they all got up safe with no other loss than the feet of their 

 stockings which were perfectly worn out. 



We next went back a few yards to the brink of the Falls and 

 found to my surprise that we could not only approach close to 

 the top of the Falls but that the water was nearly on a level 

 with the flat rock on which we stood, (marked 1,) that I could 

 without the least danger stoop and take up the water with my 

 hand after it had fallen over the precipice. The view which 

 we have here straight over the Fall is very fine, but not so grand 

 as the one we had before left, except that we saw the pillar of 



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