1799. ] 
EE ————  . 
of defcending water, and iffues in a heavy 
cloud to a confiderable height in the air, 
For fome time I felt doubtful as to the 
folidity of the ftation whereI ftood. The 
horrid and unremitting pedl of thunder 
which rebellows from the furrounding 
cliffs, is not alittle heightened by the me- 
nacjng alpe& of the whole fcene refembling 
one huge ruin. The falls on the North- 
Eatt of the ifland prefent an immenfe fight, 
where the beautiful predominates in the 
fublime; but the awe which fuch a tre- 
mendous body rufhing headlong down 
excites; the violence of its fall feeming to 
fhake the furrounding mountains, whofe 
entrails are torn from them and flung in 
difordered fragments on the fhore; the 
frequent and irregular blafts of wind 
rufhing at every moment. from different 
quarters; the fhort and convullive waves 
of the river beating on the rocks, render 
the whole at firft as terrible as it is ftu+ 
pendous. Itis impoflible by any effort of 
fancy to heightemr a fubject fo truly fub- 
lime. We may look at it with awe and 
aftonifliment, returning deeply imprefled 
with admiration of the magnitude of the 
work and the omnipotence of the Creator ; 
but to communicate any adequate idea of 
the feelings excited by the mighty traits 
in the afpe&t of this grand fcene, would 
require analogies which are not to be 
found in the imagery of the mind. 
The body of rocks over which the 
greater divifion of the waters glides from 
the plane above (receding fomewhat in 
the form of a horfe-fhoe) is, fo exca- 
vated, as to admit of a perfon’s pafling 
without danger immediately under the 
river as it falis. ITafcended the fhelving 
bafe of the cliffs on the North fhore, and 
walked under their flielter to a point of 
projection which immediately covers the 
falls. 
I was affailed by a blaft of wind and rain, 
Jo violent, that I found it impofiible to 
proceed. An inhabitant in the vicinity 
of the rapids informed wus, that accord- 
ing to his obfervation, taken by a poplar 
_ tree on the bank of this fhore, the falls had 
, worn away the rocks and receded {fix rods 
in the courfe of eight years. 
On the op- 
pofite fhore, the channel has undoubtedly 
increafed in depth; for the paflage over 
the rapiels to the ifland has been hereto- 
fore effected, which at prefent is deemed 
impracticable. * Recent inftances are 
Not wanting, of perfons, who from in- 
* Lhefe facts juftify an opinion which { 
recolle@ to have heard fuggefted by 2. De 
Velney, that the fails originally commenced 
at the ridge of highlands feveral miles below. 
‘Montuty Mac. No, Xuix. 
Country South of Lake Ontario. 
But in attempting to pafs round, : 
613 
advertence have been precipitated down 
the falls. Some few years ago, an In- 
dian lying afleep in his canoe, by acci- 
dent or defign was fet adrift, and floated 
down with the current till he was awaken- 
ed by the roaring of the rapids, where the 
water firft-burfts into a cataract. He then 
rofe andiextended his arms with horror and 
aftonifhment ; but remembering that dig- 
nified refolution with which it has ever 
been the pride of his. countrymen to meet 
death in the moft dreadful fhapes, and 
having covered his head with his blanket, 
he compofedly fat in his canoe, glanced 
down the rapids, and was plunged into 
the tremendous abyfs. What can be the 
refiftance of the human bedy to fuch a 
force of defcending water, when large 
bodies of trees, which have gone down, 
are found hurled upon the fhere beneath, 
twifed and fplintered into a thouland 
pieces. ‘All the vegetable fubftances be- 
low the falls are covered with a white 
down; and in the interftices, between fome 
calcareous and fhiftous rocks, where the 
water oozes from the cliffs, I found con- 
fiderable quantities of fpuma maris. In 
the vicinity of the rapids a hot fulphu- 
reous {pring was fome time fince. dif- 
covered. 
 Thefe falls have been called Niagara, 
Fagara, and Ochniagara by the Indians. 
Some Cayuga chiefs informed me that the 
true name (perhaps in their language) is 
Ochaiagara, an old compound word fig- 
nifying a large neck of water. Having 
heard that a fuperftitious reverence had 
been paid to this fublime fubjec&t by the 
Indians, I was inclined to trace its ety- 
mology in fome words charafteriftic of the 
deity; and I found that Nios in a voca- 
bulary of the language of the Mohawks 
and Onondsgas, fignified Ged. But I 
could not find any other probable word to 
juttify an etymology by conjundtion.— 
Below the falls, the ftream is extremely 
vortiginous, and fo rapid, as not to ad- 
mit of navigation, independent of an ex- 
traordinary turn, about five miles from 
Niagara, where the whole body of: the 
water wheels round, and forms a tremend- 
ous whirlpool, The high ridge of land 
which I before mentioned, at a fhort dif- 
tance below Niagara, commands a majeftic 
view, comprehending the weftern part of ' 
lake Ontario, the ftream running into it 
from lake Erie, and an extenfive country 
tothe Weft. Atagreat diftance on the 
north of lake Cntario, on which York 
Town or Toranto is fituated, the prefent feat 
of gcevernnment of Upper Canada, the fhore 
riles into view, and prefents a line of ele- 
; 4K vated 
4 
