NIAGARA.

Niagara Falls from the Canadian Side - Frontispiece.

THE
FALLS OF NIAGARA
AND
OTHER FAMOUS CATARACTS.
BY GEORGE W. HOLLEY.

With Thirty Illustrations.

London:
HODDER AND STOUGHTON,
27, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCCLXXXII.

Hazell, Watson, and Viney, Printers, London and Aylesbury.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Preface[xiii]
Part I.—History.
CHAPTER I.
First French expedition—Jacques Cartier—He first hears of the great
Cataract—Champlain—Route to China—La Salle—Father Hennepin's
first and second visits to the Falls		[1]
CHAPTER II.
Baron La Hontan's description of the Falls—M. Charlevoix's letter to
Madame Maintenon—Number of the Falls—Geological indications—Great
projection of the rock in Father Hennepin's time—Cave of the
Winds—Rainbows		[9]
CHAPTER III.
The name Niagara—The musical dialect of the Hurons—Niagara one
of the oldest of Indian names—Description of the River, the Falls,
and the surrounding country		[15]
CHAPTER IV.
Niagara a tribal name—Other names given to the tribe—The Niagaras
a superior race—The true pronunciation of Indian words		[19]
CHAPTER V.
The lower Niagara—Fort Niagara—Fort Mississauga—Niagara village—
Lewiston—Portagearound the Falls—The first railroad in theUnited
States—Fort Schlosser—The ambuscade at Devil's Hole—LaSalle's vessel,
the Griffin—The Niagara frontier		[25]
Part II.—Geology.
CHAPTER VI.
America the old world—Geologically recent origin of the Falls—Evidence
thereof—Captain Williams's surveys for a ship-canal—Formerextent of
Lake Michigan—Its outlet into the Illinois River—TheNiagara Barrier—How
broken through—The birth of Niagara		[32]
CHAPTER VII.
Composition of the terrace cut through—Why retrocession is possible—Three
sections from Lewiston to the Falls—Devil's Hole—TheMedina
group—Recession long checked—The Whirlpool—The narrowestpart of the
river—The mirror—Depth of the water in theChasm—Former grand Fall		[42]
CHAPTER VIII.
Recession above the present position of the Falls—The Falls will behigher
as they recede—Reason Why—Professor Tyndall's prediction—Present
and former accumulations of rock—Terrific power ofthe elements—
Ice and ice bridges—Remarkable geognosy of the lake region		[50]
Part III.
Local History and Incidents.
CHAPTER IX.
Forty years since—Niagara in winter—Frozen spray—Ice foliage and
ice apples—Ice moss—Frozen fog—Ice islands—Ice statues—Sleigh-riding
on the American Rapids—Boys coasting on them—Ice gorges		[62]
CHAPTER X.
Judge Porter—General Porter—Goat Island—Origin of its name—Early
dates found cut in the bark of trees and in the rock—Professor
Kalm's wonderful story—Bridges to the Island—Method of construction—Red
Jacket—Anecdotes—Grand Island—Major Noah and the
New Jerusalem—The Stone Tower—The Biddle stairs—Sam Patch—Depth
of water on the Horseshoe—Ships sent over the Falls		[71]
CHAPTER XI.
Joel R. Robinson, the first and last navigator of the Rapids—Rescue
of Chapin—Rescue of Allen—He takes the Maid of the Mist through
the Whirlpool—His companions—Effect upon Robinson—Biographical
notice—His grave unmarked		[85]
CHAPTER XII.
A fisherman and a bear in a canoe—Frightful experience with floating ice—Early
farming on the Niagara—Fruit-growing—The original forest—Testimony
of the trees—The first hotel—General Whitney—Cataract
House—Distinguished visitors—Carriage road down the Canadian
bank—Ontario House—Clifton House—The Museum—Table and
Termination Rocks—Burning Spring—Lundy's Lane—Battle Anecdotes		[96]
CHAPTER XIII.
Incidents—Fall of Table Rock—Remarkable phenomenon in the river—Driving
and lumbering on the Rapids—Points of the compass at
the Falls—A first view of the Falls commonly disappointing—Lunar
bow—Golden spray—Gull Island and the gulls—The highest water
ever known at the Falls—The Hermit of the Falls		[108]
CHAPTER XIV.
Avery's descent of the Falls—The fatal practical joke—Death of Miss
Rugg—Swans—Eagles—Crows—Ducks over the Falls—Why dogs
have survived the descent		[118]
CHAPTER XV.
Wedding tourists at the Falls—Bridges to the Moss Islands—Railwayat the
Ferry—List of persons who have been carried over the Falls—Other accidents		[125]
CHAPTER XVI.
The first Suspension Bridge—The Railway Suspension Bridge—Extraordinary
vibration given to the Railway Bridge by the fall of a mass ofrock—De Veaux
College—The Lewiston Suspension Bridge—TheSuspension Bridge at the Falls		[137]
CHAPTER XVII.
Blondin and his "ascensions"—Visit of the Prince of Wales—Grand
illumination of the Falls—The steamer Caroline—The Water-power
of Niagara—Lord Dufferin and the plan of an international park		[144]
CHAPTER XVIII.
Poetry in the Table Rock albums—Poems by Colonel Porter, Willis G.
Clark, Lord Morpeth, José Maria Heredia, A. S. Ridgely, Mrs. Sigourney,
and J. G. C. Brainard		[153]
Part IV.
Other Famous Cataracts of the World.
CHAPTER XIX.
Yosemite—Vernal—Nevada—Yellowstone—Shoshone—St. Maurice—
Montmorency		[164]
CHAPTER XX.
Tequendama—Kaiteeur—Paulo Affonso—Keel-fos—Riunkan-fos—Sarp-fos—
Staubbach—Zambesior Victoria—Murchison—Cavery—Schaffhausen		[171]
CHAPTER XXI.
Famous rapids and cascades—Niagara—Amazon—Orinoco—Parana—Nile—
Livingstone		[179]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

[Niagara Falls from the Canadian Side]Frontispiece.
[The Horseshoe Fall from Goat Island]Opposite page 6
[Luna Fall and Island in Winter]11
[The Rapids above the Falls]17
[The Youngest Inhabitant]22
[Mouth of the Chasm and Brock's Monument]29
[Niagara Falls from Below]54
[Great Icicles under the American Fall]60
[Winter Foliage]66
[Ice Bridge and Frost Freaks]69
[Coasting below the American Fall]70
[Second Moss Island Bridge]76
[Joel R. Robinson]86
[The Maid of the Mist in the Whirlpool]91
[Fisher and the Bear]97
[Fall of Table Rock]109
[Rock of Ages and Whirlwind Bridge]114
[The Three Sisters or Moss Islands]125
[How the Suspension Bridge was Begun]137
[Blondin Crossing the Niagara]145
[Indian Women Selling Bead-work]148
[Yosemite Falls]164
[Bridal Veil Fall]166
[Vernal Falls]168
[Nevada Falls]171
[Lower Falls of the Yellowstone]172
[Upper Falls of the Yellowstone]174
[The Staubbach, Switzerland]176
[Victoria Falls, Zambesi]178
———
[Map of the Niagara Region]1