The English Period 



half a dozen straggling houses: here we alighted, and having 1796 

 disposed of our horses, and made a slight repast, in order to 

 prepare us for the fatigue we had to go through, we crossed over 

 some fields towards a deep hollow place surrounded with large 

 trees, from the bottom of which issued thick volumes of whitish 

 mist, that had much the appearance of smoke rising from large 

 heaps of burning weeds. Having come to the edge of this hollow 

 place, we descended a steep bank of about fifty yards, and then 

 walking for some distance over a wet marshy piece of ground, 

 covered with thick bushes, at last came to the Table Rock, so 

 called from the remarkable flatness of its surface, and its bearing 

 some similitude to a table. This rock is situated a little to the 

 front of the great fall, above the top of which it is elevated above 

 forty feet. The view from it is truly sublime; but before I 

 attempt to give any idea of the nature of this view, it will be 

 necessary to take a more general survey of the river and falls. 

 Niagara River issues from the eastern extremity of Lake Erie, 

 and after a course of thirty-six miles discharges itself into Lake 

 Ontario, as has already been mentioned. For the first few miles 

 from Lake Erie, the breadth of the river is about three hundred 

 yards, and it is deep enough for vessels drawing nine or ten 

 feet water; but the current is so extremely rapid and irregular, 

 and the channel so intricate, on account of the numberless large 

 rocks in different places, that no other vessels than bateaux ever 

 attempt to pass along it. As you proceed downward the river 

 widens, no rocks are to be seen either along the shores or in the 

 channel, and the waters glide smoothly along, though the current 

 continues very strong. The river runs thus evenly, and is navi- 

 gable with safety for bateaux as far as Fort Chippeway, which is 

 about three miles above the falls; but here the bed of it again 

 becomes rocky, and the waters are violently agitated by passing 

 down successive rapids, so much so indeed, that were a boat by 

 any chance to be carried but a little way beyond Chippeway, 

 where people usually stop, nothing could save it from being 

 dashed to pieces long before it came to the falls. With such 



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