Niagara Falls 



1822 at four miles an hour. I am satisfied that it moves six miles an 

 Dwight hour. I allege the following reasons. 



1. Notwithstanding the great depth of the water, and its 

 absolute freedom from any obstructions, the surface at the ferry 

 is strongly rippled; resembling the water of a mill-stream where 

 it is shallow, and runs rapidly over a bed of stones. 



2. The surface is here so oblique as to present a striking 

 obliquity to the eye. 



3. The boats, as we crossed, and re-crossed the river with 

 three stout oarsmen, fell down the stream one half of a mile. 

 The boats were light, and convenient; and the wind was not 

 unfavourable. 



4. We travelled on the banks of the river four miles an hour 

 by the watch; and the rapidity of the current evidently exceeded 

 our progress. 



5. Mr. Lamson, an intelligent and respectable inhabitant of 

 the County of St. Lawrence, who has examined this subject with 

 attention, informed me, that the current had been proved to be six 

 miles an hour by a log, Jthrown into the river at the ferry, and 

 floated down to the village of Chippeway. It is to be observed, 

 that at the ferry the rapidity is greater than at any place between 

 that and the village. 



6. An ocular comparison with other streams, too tedious to be 

 mentioned here, will establish this estimate. 



For these reasons, I am satisfied, that the current of this river 

 is six miles an hour. If we calculate the quantity of water 

 which passes the ferry, and of course descends at this cataract, 

 on the supposition, that the current is five miles, it will in an hour 

 amount to 85,078,125 tons Avoirdupois; if at six, to 102,- 

 093,750. At five miles the mass will in a day be 2,041 ,875,000; 

 at six miles, it will be 2,450,250,000. It is not to be supposed, 

 that all these data are precisely correct; yet they cannot be far 

 from the truth. 



You will easily believe, that by the falling of such a mass of 

 water from such a height, the stream below must be intensely 



514 



