74 
fliet. From this place, the canal runs along the bant of the Nia¬ 
gara, from which it is separated only by a small bank, built ra¬ 
ther carelessly, and several feet above the level of the river, 
which is already somewhat rapid on account of its vicinity to the 
falls. On the Tonnawanta Creek we saw several canoes which 
were made by excavating the trunks of trees. From Tonnawanta 
to Buffalo it is eight miles, five of which we travelled on the 
canal as far as Black Rock. A basin is formed here by means 
of a dam situated near Squaw Island, on which is a lock com¬ 
municating with the Niagara. The whole of this work is of 
wood, and cannot therefore be expected to be very durable. In 
the basin lay the new steam-boat Henry Clay, of three hundred 
tons, intended for running on Lake Erie. We had here the first 
view of the lake, whose shore appeared to be overgrown with 
wood. The other shore of course we could not see, and it seem¬ 
ed therefore as though we were looking into an expanded sea. 
The canal to Buffalo not being completed, we again took stage 
at Black Rock, and rode three miles to the former town, where 
we arrived at about 5 o’clock at evening, and took lodgings at 
the Mansion House, pleasantly situated on a little eminence in 
the lake. 
Buffalo was burnt during the late war, by the British, but it 
has arisen from its ashes with increased beauty. The town con¬ 
tains about five thousand inhabitants, and will, in consequence 
of its situation near the mouth of the canal and its harbour, at 
which they are hard at work, soon become an important place. 
At the entrance of the harbour is a light-house, and on the 
lake we observed several schooners of about three hundred tons. 
A steam-boat, called the Superior, was ready to start with fifty 
passengers to Erie, and thence to Detroit. In the streets, we 
saw some tolerably well-dressed Indians of the Seneca tribe, 
who have their wigwam "three miles distant. Amongst them 
were several women, who indeed, but for their complexion, might 
have been considered handsome. We also had an amusing mi¬ 
litary spectacle. It consisted of a militia parade, consisting of 
thirty men, including seven officers and two cornets. They were 
formed, like a battalion, into six divisions, and performed a 
number of manoeuvres. The members were not all provided 
with muskets, but had ramrods instead. Only the officers and 
the rifle-company, four men strong, were in uniform. The band 
consisted of sixteen men, and was commanded by an officer with 
a colonel’s epaulets and drawn sword! 
On the following day, 21st of August, we left Buffalo for the 
small village of Manchester, twenty-three miles distant, and si¬ 
tuated on the right bank of the Niagara, near the falls. As far 
as the village of Tonnawanta the road passed along the canal. 
