Travels in North America. 153 



As toits Shape, it is in the Form of a Horfe-fhoe, and about 

 four hundred Paces in Cifcamference ; but exa6lly in the Mid- 

 dle it is divided into two by a very narrow liland about half a 

 Mile long, which comes to a Point here. But thefe two Parts 

 do foon unite again : That which was on my Side, and which is 

 only feen in Profile, has feveral Points which jut out; but that 

 which I faw in Front, appeared to me very fmooth. The Baron 

 de la Hontan adds to this a Torrent which comes from the 

 Well; but if this was not invented by the Author, we muft 

 fay that in the Time of the Snow's melting, the Waters come 

 to difcharge themfelves here by fome Gutter. 



You may very well fuppofe, Madam, that below this Fall the 

 River is for a long Way afFe6led by this rude Shock, and indeed 

 it is not navigable but at three Leagues Diftance, and exa6lly at 

 the Place where M. de Joncaire is fituated. One would imagine 

 it fhould not be lefs navigable higher up, fi nee the River falls 

 here perpendicularly in its whole Breadth. But befides this Ifle, 

 which divides it in two, feveral Shelves fcattered here and therô 

 at the Sides of, and above this îfland, much abate the Rapidity 

 of the Curren% It is neverthelefs fo ftrong, notwithilanding all 

 this, that ten or twelve Qutaouais endeavouring one Day to crofs 

 the Ifland, tofnun {omt Iroquois whopurfued them, were carried 

 away with the Current down the Precipice, in Spite of what^ 

 ever Struggles they could m.ake to avoid it. 



I have been told that the Fifli that are brought- into 

 Ohfer^aiions Current, are killed thereby, and that 



this Cai^ade^^^ Savages fettled in thefe Parts make an 



s jcui e. Advantage of it ; but I faw no fuch Thing. 



I have alfo been afTured, that the Birds that attempted to flyover 

 it, were fometimes drawn into the Vortex which was ïoïmtà 

 in the Air by the Violence of this Torrent ; but I cbferved 

 quite the contrary. I fav/ fome little Birds flying about, direélly 

 over the Fall, which came away without any Difficulty. This 

 Sheet of Water is received upon a Rock ; and two Reafons 

 perfuade me that it has found here, or perhaps has made here by- 

 Length of Time, a Cavern v/hichhas fome Depth. The firft is, 

 that the Noife it makes is very dead, and like Thunder at a Dl- 

 ftance. It is fcarcely to be heard at M. de Joncaire^s Cabin, 

 and perhaps alfo what one hears there, is only the dalhing of 

 the Water againft the Rocks, which fill the Bed of the River up 

 to this Place : And the rather, becaufe above the Cataraâ: the 

 Noife is not heard near fo far. The fécond Reafon is, that no- 

 thing has ever re-appeared (as they fay) of all that has faller^ 

 into it, not even the Wreck of the Canoe of the Qutaouais I 

 mentioned jufl: now. However this may be, On;id gives us a 

 Defcriptionof fuch a Cataraft, which he fays is in the deligh - 



X fui 



