The English Period 



one having more than eighteen, and very few people have seen M 1800 

 them with as many as fourteen. It is known, however, that there 

 are few old snakes but what have lost some of the joints of the 

 rattle by accidents ; they are very brittle. . . 



Captain Lawton met us at Fort Schlusser on our return. He 

 re-crossed the River at the same time with us, but instead of 

 poling up the shore, he pulled his canoe directly across — an act 

 of temerity in which no one has yet dared to vie with him. Mr. 

 Steadman remembers when no boat or canoe dared even venture 

 so low down as Chippawa. 



Wild Fowl, alighting high up the river, are sometimes, in the 

 night, carried down the Falls : not seeing their danger, they allow 

 the stream to carry them too far, its rapidity and descent not 

 allowing them to take wing. Ducks and Gulls acquainted with the 

 Falls, have been seen within one hundred yards of the pitch, but 

 they are careful to swim with their heads down the stream, for 

 with their breasts to the current, they cannot take wing. 



Mr. Steadman assured me that the Niagara River increases in 

 depth, and consequently that the volume of water which passes 

 the Falls is considerably augmented. Formerly the River oppo- 

 site to Chippawa was very low in the Summer months; and 

 Mr. S. remembers having once seen the bed of the River dry from 

 the Fort Schlusser side to the bar running from the South point of 

 Goat Island. The channel in this part of the River is now fifteen 

 feet in depth. — Saw a Fishing-hawk with a large fish in its 

 claws. 



Sunday, August 24th. 



After breakfast rode to Bender's, four miles; put up my horse 

 and followed the path to Mrs. Simcoe's Ladder, so called from 

 having been fixed for the conveniency of the Governor of Upper 

 Canada's Lady visiting the Falls. From Mrs. Simcoe's Ladder 

 to the foot of the Falls, is one mile, which I was one hour in 

 traversing, owing to the masses of rock I had to scramble over. 

 My first attempt was to get under the arch of the Fall. . . , 



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