The Virginia Gazette

Letter from Mr. Kalm, a Gentleman of Sweden, on his Travels in America. to his Friend in Philadelphia; containing a particular Account of the Great Fall of Niagara.

SIR,

Albany, Sept. 2, 1750.

After a pretty long Journey made in a short Time, I am come back to this Town. You may remember, that when I took Leave of you, I told you I would this Summer, if Time permitted, take a View of Niagara Fall; esteem'd one of the greatest Curiosities in the World. When I came last Year from Quebec, you enquir'd of me several Particulars concerning this Fall; and I told you what I heard of it in Canada, from several French Gentlemen who had been there : But this was still all relata refero ; I could not assure you of the Truth of it; because I had not then seen it myself, and so it could not satisfy my own, much less your Curiosity. Now, since I have been on the Spot, it is in my Power to give you a more perfect and more satisfactory Description of it.

After a fatiguing Travel, first on Horseback thro' the Country of the Six Indian Nations to Owego, and from thence in a Bateau upon Lake Ontario, I came on the 11th of August in the Evening to Niagara Fort. The French there seem'd much perplexed at my first Coming, imagining I was an English Officer, that under Pretext of seeing Niagara Falls, came in some other View; but as soon as I shew'd them my Passports, they chang'd their Behaviour, and receiv'd me with the greatest Civility. Niagara Fall is six French Leagues from Niagara Fort. You go first three Leagues by Land over the Carrying-Place. As it was late when I arriv'd at the Fort, I could not the same Day go to the Fall, but I prepar'd myself to do it the next Morning. The Commandant of the Fort, Monr. Beaujeu, invited all the Officers and Gentlemen there to Supper with him. I had read heretofore almost all the Authors that have wrote any Thing about this Fall : and the last Year in Canada, I had made so many Enquiries about it, that I thought I had a pretty good Idea of it; and now at Supper, I begg'd the Gentlemen to tell me all they knew and thought worth Notice relating to it, which they accordingly did. I observ'd that in many Things they all agreed, in some Things they were of different Opinions, of all which I took particular Notice. When they had told me all they thought they knew, I made several Queries to them concerning what I had read and heard of it, whether such and such a Thing was true or not ? and had their Answers on every Circumstance. But as I have found by Experience in my other Travels, that very few observe Nature's Works with Accuracy, or report the Truth precisely, I cannot now be entirely satisfied without seeing with my own Eyes whenever 'tis in my Power. Accordingly the next Morning, being the 13th of August, at Break of Day I set out for the Fall. The Commandant had given Orders to two of the Officers of the Fort to go with me and shew me every Thing, and moreover sent by them an Order to Monr. Joncaire, who had liv'd ten Years by the Carrying-Place, and knew every Thing worth Notice of the Fall; better than any other Person, to go with me, and shew and tell me whatever he knew. A little before we came to the Carrying-Place, the Water of Niagara River grew so rapid, that four Men in a light Birch Canoe, had much Work to get up thither. Canoes can go yet half a League above the Beginning of the Carrying-Place, tho' they must work against a Water extremely rapid ; but higher up it is quite impossible, the whole Course of the Water for two Leagues and a half up to the great Fall, being a Series of smaller Falls, one under another, in which the greatest Canoe or Bateau would in a Moment be turn'd upside down. We went ashore therefore, and walk'd over the Carrying-Place, having, besides the high and steep Side of the River, two great Hills to ascend one above the other. Here on the Carrying-Place I saw above 200 Indians, most of them belonging to the Six Nations, busy in carrying Packs of Furs, chiefly of Deer and Bear, over the Carrying-Place. You would be surpriz'd to see what Abundance of such Things are brought every Day over this Place. An Indian gets 20 Pence for every Pack he carries over, the Distance being three Leagues. Half an Hour past 10 in the Morning we came to the great Fall, which I found as follows :

The River (or rather Strait) runs here from S. S. E. to N. N. W. and the Rock of the Great Fall crosses it, not in a right Line, but forming almost the Figure of a Semicircle or Horse Shoe. Above the Fall, in the Middle of the River, is an Island, lying also S. S. E. and N. N. W. or parallel with the Sides of the River; its Length is about 7 or 8 French Arpents (an Arpent being 120 Feet.) The lower End of this Island is just at the perpendicular Edge of the Fall. On both Sides of this Island runs all the Water that comes from the Lakes of Canada, viz. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie, which you know are rather small Seas than Lakes, and have besides a great many large Rivers that empty their Waters into them, whereof the greatest Part comes down this Niagara Fall Before the Water comes to this Island, it runs but slowly. compar'd with its Motion when it approaches the Island, where it grows the most rapid Water in the World, running with a surprizing Swiftness before it comes to the Fall; it is quite white and in many Places is thrown high up into the Air ! The greatest and strongest Bateau would here in a Moment be turn'd over and over. The Water that goes down on the West Side of the Island is more rapid, in greater Abundance, whiter, and seems almost to outdo an Arrow in Swiftness. When you are at the Fall, and look up the River, you may see, that the River above the Fall is every where exceeding steep, almost as the Side of a House. When all this Water comes to the very Fall, there it throws itself down perpendicular ! The Hair will rise and stand upright on your Head, when you see this! I cannot with Words express how amazing this is ! You cannot see it without being quite terrified ; to behold so vast a Quantity of Water falling headlong from so surprizing a Height! I doubt not but you have a Desire to learn the exact Height of this great Fall. Father Hennepin, you know calls it 600 Feet perpendicular ; but he has gain'd little Credit in Canada; the Name of Honour they give him there, is a grand Menteur, or The great Liar ; he writes of. what he saw in Places where he never was. Tis true he saw this Fall: But as it is the Way of some Travellers to magnify every Thing, so has he done with Regard to the Fall of Niagara. This Humour of Travellers, has occasion'd me many Disappointments in my Travels, having seldom been so happy as to find the wonderful Things that had been related by others. For my Part, who am not fond of the Marvellous, I like to see Things just as they are; and so to relate them. Since Father Hennepin's Time, this Fall, in all the Accounts that have been given of it, has grown less and less ; and those who have measur'd it with mathematical Instruments find the perpendicular Fall of the Water to be exactly 137 Feet. Monr. Morandiere, the King's Engineer in Canada, told me, and gave it me also under his Hand, that 137 Feet was precisely the Height of it ; and all the French Gentlemen that were present with me at the Fall, did agree with him, without the least Contradiction : It is true, those who have try'd to measure it with a Line, find it sometimes 90; sometimes 100 Feet, and sometimes more; but the Reason is, it cannot that Way be measur'd with any Certainty, the Water carrying away the Line. When the Water is come down to the Bottom of the Rock of the Fall. it jumps back to a very great Height in the Air ; in other Places it is white as Milk or Snow ; and all in Motion like a boiling Cauldron. You may remember, to what a great Distance Hennepin says this Noise of the Fall may be heard All the Gentlemen who were with me, agreed, that the farthest one can hear it, is 1 League, and that very seldom, When the Air is quite calm; you can hear it to Niagara Fort ; but seldom at other Times, because when the Wind blows, the Waves of Lake Ontario make too much Noise there against the Shore. They inform'd me; that when they hear at the Fort the Noise of the Fall, louder than ordinary. they are sure a North East Wind will follow, which never fails : This seems wonderful, as the Fall is South West from the Fort : and one would imagine it to be rather a Sign of a contrary Wind. Sometimes, 'tis said, the Fall makes a much greater Noise than at other Times; and this is look'd on as a certain Mark of approaching bad Weather, or Rain, the Indians here hold it always for a sure Sign. When I was there, it did not make any extraordinary great Noise : Just by the Fall, we could easily hear what each other said, without speaking much louder than common when conversing in other Places. I do not know how others have found so great a Noise here; perhaps it was at certain Times, as above-mention'd. From the Place where the Water falls, there rises Abundance of Vapours. like the greatest and thickest Smoak, tho' sometimes more. sometimes less: These Vapours rise high in the Air when it is calm, but are dispers'd by the Wind when it blows hard. If you go nigh to this Vapour or Fog, or if the Wind blows it on you, it is so penetrating, that in a few Minutes you will be as wet as if you had been under Water. I got two young Frenchmen to go down. to bring me from the Side of the Fall at the Bottom: some of each of the several Kinds of Herbs, Stones. and Shells they should find there; they return'd in a few Minutes, and I really thought they had fallen into the Water : They were obliged to strip themselves quite naked. and hang their Clothes in the Sun to dry. When you are on the other or East Side of Lake Ontario, a great many Leagues from the Fall. you may, every clear and calm Morning see the Vapours of the Fall rising in the Air. you would think all the Woods thereabout were set on Fire by the Indians, so great is the apparent Smoak. In the same Manner you may see it on the West Side of Lake Erie, a great many Leagues off. Several of the French Gentlemen told me, that when Birds come flying into this Fog or Smoak of the Fall, they fall down and perish in the Water ; either because their Wings are become wet. or that the Noise of the Fall astonishes them, and they know not where to go in the Darkness: But others were of Opinion, that seldom or never any Bird perishes there in that Manner: because. as they all agreed, among the Abundance of Birds found dead below the Fall, there are no other Sorts than such as live and swim frequently in the Water; as Swans, Geese. Ducks. Water-Hens, Teal, and the like. And very often are great Flocks of them seen going to Destruction in this Manner : They swim in the River above the Fall, and so are carried down lower and lower by the Water; and as Water-Fowl commonly take great Delight in being carry'd with the Stream, so here they indulge themselves in enjoying this Pleasure so long, 'till the Swiftness of the Water becomes so great, that tis no longer possible for them to rise, but they are driven down the Precipice, and perish.
They are observ'd when they draw nigh the Fall, to endeavour withall their Might to take Wing and leave the Water; but they cannot. In the Months of September, and October, such abundant Quantities of dead Water-Fowl are found every Morning below the Fall, on the Shore, that the Garrison of the Fort for a long Time live chiefly upon them. Besides the Fowl, they find also several Carcasses of dead Fish, also Deer, Bears, and other Animals which have tried to cross the Water above the Fall : the larger Animals are generally found broken to Pieces. Just below the Fall the Water is not rapid, but goes all in Circles and Whirls like a boiling Pot ; which however do not hinder the Indians going upon it in small Canoes a Fishing; but a little lower beyond the other smaller Falls.—When you are above the Fall, and look down, your Head begins to turn : The French who have been there 100 Times, will seldom venture to look down, without at the same time keeping fast hold of some Tree with one Hand.

It was formerly thought impossible for any Body living to come at the Island that is in the Middle of the Fall. but an Accident that happen'd 12 Years ago, or thereabouts, made it appear otherwise. The History is this. Two Indians of the Six Nations went out from Niagara Fort, to hunt upon an Island that is in the Middle of the River, or Strait, above the great Fall, on which there used to be Abundance of Deer. They took some French Brandy with them, from the Fort, which they tasted several Times as they were going over the Carrying Place ; and when they were in their Canoe, they took now and then a Dram, and so went along up the Strait towards the Island where they propos'd to hunt; but growing sleepy, they laid themselves down in the Canoe, which getting loose drove back with the Stream, farther and farther down 'til it came nigh that Island that is in the Middle of the Fall, Here one of them, wakened by the Noise of the Fall, cries out to the other, that they were gone! Yet they tried if possible to save Life. This Island was nighest, and with much Working they got on Shore there. At first they were glad; but when they had consider'd every Thing, they thought themselves hardly in a better State than if they had gone down the Fall, since they had now no other Choice, than either to throw themselves down the same, or to perish with Hunger. But hard Necessity put them on Invention. At the lower End of the Island the Rock is perpendicular, and no Water is running there. The Island has Plenty of Wood; they went to work then, and made a Ladder or Shroud's of the Bark of Linden Tree, (which is very tough and strong) so long 'til they could with it reach the Water below ; one End of this Bark Ladder they tied fast, to a great Tree that grew at the Side of the Rock above the Fall, and let the other End down to the Water. So they went down their new invented Stairs, and when they came to the Bottom in the Middle of the Fall, they rested a little; and as the Water next below the Fall is not rapid, as beforementioned, they threw themselves out into it, thinking to swim on Shore. I have said before, that one Part of the Fall is on one Side of the Island, the other on the other Side Hence it is, That the Waters of the two Cataracts running against each other, turn back against the Rock that is just under the Island. Therefore, hardly had the Indians begun to swim, before the Waves of the Eddy threw them with Violence against the Rock from whence they came. They tried it several Times, but at last grew weary; and being often thrown against the Rock they were much bruised, and the Skin torn off their Bodies in many Places. So they were obliged to climb up their Stairs again to the Island, not knowing what to do. After some Time they perceived Indians on the Shore, to whom they cried out. These saw and pitied them, but gave them little Hope of Help : Yet they made Haste down to the Fort, and told the Commandant where two of their Brothers were. He persuaded them to try all possible Means of relieving the two poor Indians; and it was done in this Manner. The Water that runs on the East Side of this Island is shallow, especially a little above the Island towards the Eastern Shore. The Commandant caused Poles to be made and pointed with Iron: Two Indians took upon them to walk to this Island by the Help of these Poles, to save the other poor Creatures or perish themselves. They took Leave of all their Friends as if they were going to Death. Each had two such Poles in his Hands, to set to the Bottom of the Stream, to keep them steady. So they went and got to the Island, and having given Poles to the two poor Indians there, they all returned safely to the Main. Those two Indians, who in the above-mentioned Manner were first brought to this Island, are yet alive. They were 9 Days on the Island, and almost starved to Death.—Now since the Road to this Island has been found the Indians go there often to kill Deer, which have tried to cross the River above the Fall, and were driven upon the Island by the Stream : But if the King of France would give me all Canada, I would not venture to go to this Island ; and were you to see it, Sir, I am sure you would have the same Sentiment.—On the West Side of this Island are some small Islands or Rocks of no Consequence. The East Side of the River is most perpendicular, the West Side more sloping In former Times a Part of the Rock at the Fall which is on the West Side of the Island, hung over in such a Manner, that the Water which fell perpendicularly from it, left a Vacancy below, so that People could go under between the Rock and the Water; but the prominent Part some Years since broke off and fell down.—The Breadth of the Fall, as it runs in a Semicircle, is reckon'd to be about—-Arpents. The Island is in the Middle of the Fall, and from it to each Side is almost the same Breadth : The Breadth of the Island at its lower End is two Thirds of an Arpent, or thereabouts -Below the Fall in the Holes of the Rocks, are great Plenty of Eels, which the Indians and French catch with their Hands without other Means : I sent down two Indian Boys, who directly came up with 2 fine ones.—-Every Day, when the Sun shines, you see here from 10 o Clock in the Morning to 2 in the Afternoon, below the Fall. and under you, where you stand at the Side of the Fall, a glorious Rainbow, and sometimes two, one within the other. I was so happy as to be at the Fall on a fine clear Day, and it was with great Delight I viewed this Rainbow, which had almost all the Colours you see in a Rainbow in the Air. The more Vapours, the brighter and clearer is the Rainbow. I saw it on the East Side of the Fall in the Bottom under the Place where I stood, but above the Water. When the Wind carries the Vapours from that Place, the Rainbow is gone, but appears again as soon as new Vapours come. From the Fall to the Landing above it, where the Canoes from Lake Erie put ashore or from the Fall to the upper End of the Carrying Place) is half a Mile. Lower the Canoes dare not come, lest they should be obliged to try the Fate of the two Indians, and perhaps with less Success.—They have often found below the Fall Pieces of human Bodies, perhaps of drunken Indians, that have unhappily come down the Fall. I was told at Oswego, that in October, or thereabouts, such Plenty of Feathers are to be found here below the Fall, that a Man in a Day's Time can gather enough of them for several Beds, which Feathers they said came off the Birds killed at the Fall. I asked the French, if this was true? They told me they had never seen any such Thing; but that if the Feathers were pick'd off the dead Birds, there might be such a Quantity., The French told me. they had often thrown whole great Trees into the Water above, to see them tumble down the Fall : They went down with surprizing Swiftness but could never be seen afterwards ; whence 'twas thought there was a Bottomless Deep or Abyss just under the Fall. I am too of Opinion. that there must be a vast Deep here; yet I think if they had watch'd very well, they might have found the Trees at some Distance below the Fall. The Rock of the Fall consists of a grey Limestone. Here you have, Sir, a Short Description of this Famous Niagara Cataract : You may depend on the Truth of what I write you. You must excuse me if you find in my Account, no extravagant Wonders. I cannot make Nature otherwise than I find it. I had rather it should be said of me in Time to come, that I related Things as they were, and that all is found to agree with my Descriptions ; than to be esteem'd a false Wonder-maker. I have seen some other Things in this my Journey, and Account of which I know would gratify your Curiosity; but Time at present will not permit me to write more: and I hope shortly to see you. I am, &c. PETER KALM.