FOOTNOTES:
[93] For the Little Platte, see our volume xiv, p. 174, note 141. Independence is noted in our volume xix, p. 189, note 34 (Gregg). As it was situated three miles from the river, both Wayne City and Blue Mills contended for the business of the landing place. Portage l'Independence was at the former, or even higher up the river—possibly cutting off the bend wherein the Kansas River enters, since Maximilian does not speak of passing that stream.
The person whom Maximilian met was Milton G. Sublette (for whom see Wyeth's Oregon, in our volume xxi, p. 67, note 44). He went out with the Wyeth expedition in the spring of 1834, but because of illness turned back (May 8) near the Kansas River, and had just arrived at Independence Portage when the prince's vessel came down the Missouri. William L. Sublette, the chief partner of Sublette and Campbell, had led out a party to the mountains which passed Wyeth's about May 12. See Townsend's Narrative, in our volume xxi, p. 151; and "Correspondence and Journals of Captain Nathaniel J. Wyeth," in Sources for the History of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon, 1899), pp. 132, 221, 224.—Ed.
[94] The "Oto" (Otto), built at Jeffersonville, Indiana (1831), was Sublette and Campbell's steamer, which visited the upper Missouri in 1833. Somewhere on the upper river Sublette sent the boat back, and proceeded by keelboat to Fort Union. Probably the steamer had wintered near Council Bluffs.—Ed.
[95] For Liberty, see our volume xxii, p. 249, note 197. Williams's Ferry was at the present site of Missouri City; the settlement had been begun by Shrewsbury Williams shortly before Maximilian's visit, and was incorporated as a city in 1859.
"Charaton Scatty" is the phonetic spelling of "Charretins écartés," two creeks separated by a short distance. Lewis and Clark, in Original Journals, i, p. 57, give the name as "Sharriton Carta."—Ed.
[96] The knowledge of naturalists respecting reptiles or amphibia has been increased in a surprising manner of late years. The work now publishing by Messrs. Duméril and Bibron, promises to be the most complete on the subject. A vast number of species has been found, some of which are hardly capable of being sufficiently defined: thus, the authors of the above-mentioned excellent work seemed to have proceeded, in some cases, rather hastily. I will mention only one or two instances: vol. v., p. 88, I find in the synopsis, "Tupinambis monitor, Maxim., Prince of Wied;" whereas I never thought of calling the lizard in question Tupinambis. Vol. iii., p. 80, Alligator sclerops, and page 86 the same, where I am quoted in reference to two species of crocodile, though it is very certain that I could not observe in Brazil more than one species. In these two descriptions there is much confusion; and in this respect we must also not follow Spix, who considered the varieties of age as distinct species. I could quote many other instances, if this were a proper place for such discussion.
In the work of Messrs. Duméril and Bibron there are likewise many mistakes with respect to the Brazilian reptiles described by me; and it seems that the authors, like many other French naturalists, quote my descriptions of those animals without having read or even seen them, otherwise they would certainly have preferred my statement of the colour of the animals from the life, to a description of the faded specimens preserved in spirits, which are met with in the museums; or to the equally incorrect statements of Dr. Spix, who, it is well known, forgot to note the colour of the animals when alive, and whose representations of them are likewise from specimens preserved in spirits.—Maximilian.
[97] For Thomas L. McKenney, see our volume xxii, p. 29, note 3.—Ed.
[98] See our volume v, p. 280, note 157.—Ed.
[99] For a contemporary description of the troubles with the Mormons in Jackson County, Missouri, see Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies, in our volume xx, pp. 93-99. Gregg's point of view is that of a sympathizer with the Missouri backwoodsman; Maximilian's is that of the doctrinaire. For a recent historical description of these events, consult W. A. Linn, Story of the Mormons (New York, 1902), pp. 161-207; see also J. H. Kennedy, Early Days of Mormonism (New York, 1888); and Thomas Gregg, Prophet of Palmyra (New York, 1890), pp. 127-148. The Mormon point of view is presented in B. H. Roberts, Missouri Persecutions (Salt Lake City, 1900). A conflict between two such differing classes as the Missouri pioneers and the Mormon emigrants was inevitable, and it was fortunate that there was so little consequent bloodshed.—Ed.
[100] On the psychology of the Mormon movement, and the origin of the Book of Mormon, see J. W. Riley, Founder of Mormonism (New York, 1902).—Ed.
[101] For these geographical place-names, see our volume xxii, pp. 247, 248, notes 192, 194, respectively.—Ed.
[102] Robidoux had formerly been in charge of an American Fur Company's post higher up the river. In 1826 he was transferred to the trading house at Blacksnake Hills, where he was a salaried employé until the purchase here narrated by Maximilian. See History of Buchanan County, Missouri (St. Joseph, 1881), pp. 391-396.—Ed.
[103] For Grand River, see our volume xv, p. 178, note 62.—Ed.
[104] See, for this point, our volume xiv, p. 162, note 127.—Ed.
[105] Old Franklin and the town of Boonville, on the opposite bank, are noted in our volumes xix, p. 188, note 33 (Gregg), and xxi, p. 89, note 59 (Wyeth), respectively.—Ed.
[106] Columbia, the seat of the state university, is described in our volume xxi, p. 133, note 8 (Townsend); Jefferson City, the capital, in volume xxii, p. 242, note 183.
Marion, on the southern (not northern) bank of the Missouri, is a village in Cole County, in a township of the same name. It was platted at Moniteau Rock, below a creek of the same name, and at first was county seat for Cole. Defeated in the contest for the state capital, the town lost also the court-house, which was removed (1826) to Jefferson City. The place was incorporated in 1837, but has never attained prominence.—Ed.
[107] Major Josiah Ramsey, Jr., was one of the first two settlers of Jefferson City, of which he was appointed trustee in 1825.—Ed.
[108] Côte sans Dessein is noted in our volume v, p. 48, note 20. For Gasconade River, see our volume xiv, pp. 136, 137. Portland, in Auxvusse Township, Callaway County, was laid out in September, 1831. It no longer exists as a separate village.—Ed.
[109] Berger Creek is a small Franklin County stream, flowing into the Missouri from the southwest.
Washington (Missouri) was settled some time prior to 1818, and incorporated in 1841. The first brick house was built in 1834. It is the largest town in Franklin County, and originally had a considerable German element among the population.—Ed.
[110] Gottfried Duden was a young German physician, who, after a journey to the United States and a residence of several years (1824-27) in Montgomery (now Warren County, Missouri), wrote a book relating his experiences. His work was much read, and as he gave a pleasant picture of life in the interior of North America, it induced a large emigration, especially from southwest Germany and along the upper Rhine. Many of these emigrants were of the educated classes, and have been valuable citizens to Missouri. See Duden, Bericht über eine Reise nach den westlichen Staaten Nordamerika's und einen mehrjährigen Aufenthalt am Missouri (Elberfelt, 1829); several later editions followed.—Ed.
[111] For St. Charles, see our volume v, p. 39, note 9. This was originally a settlement of French inhabitants, but during the decade of 1830-40 German immigration flowed in so rapidly that both the township and county of St. Charles have a majority of settlers of German descent.—Ed.
[112] See our volume xv, p. 173. The theory there advanced is, that the land between the Mississippi and Missouri "would appear rather to have subsided from the waters of a quiet ocean than to have been brought down from above."—Ed.
[113] A brief sketch of Daniel Lamont is in our volume xxii, p. 314, note 274. General William Clark made his home in St. Louis after his Western expedition (1804-06), and died there in 1838. See our volume v, p. 254, note 143, for a brief sketch of his career.—Ed.
[114] See our volume xxii, p. 32, note 9; also Smithsonian Institution Report, 1885, part ii.—Ed.
[115] Cahokia Creek is a small stream in St. Clair County, Illinois. It formerly discharged into the Missouri at the French village of the same name; but its channel is now changed, so that its mouth is some miles above. For the tradition that this change was of artificial origin caused by a habitant who attempted to injure the village, see Flagg's Far West, in our volume xxvii, chapter xli.—Ed.
[116] The Trappist order and monastery are described in much detail by Flagg in his Far West, published in volume xxvi of our series, chapter xv. Consult this account, with accompanying notes.—Ed.
[117] For recent government work on this subject, consult Lucien Carr, in Smithsonian Institution Report, 1891; Cyrus Thomas, in United States Bureau of Ethnology Report, 1890-91; and also Flagg, op. cit.—Ed.
[118] For von Humboldt, consult our volume xviii, p. 345, note 136; Warden is noted in volume xxii, p. 149, note 63.—Ed.
[119] See design in Plate 81, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv. See also our volume xxii, pp. 174, 175.—Ed.
[120] Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811) was born in Berlin, but early invited to Russia to assume charge of scientific explorations in that empire. His Bemerkungen auf einer Reise durch die südlichen Statthalterschafter des russischen Reichs was published in 1799-1801.—Ed.
[121] For a brief sketch of this naturalist, whom Maximilian visited at New Harmony, see our volume xiv, p. 40, note 1.—Ed.
[122] Albert Gallatin (1761-1849), a Swiss emigrant, whose services as United States statesman in finance and diplomacy were considerable, devoted the latter portion of his career to scientific pursuits, especially to the subject of North American ethnology. Maximilian here refers to his well-known "Synopsis of Indian Tribes of North America," published in American Antiquarian Society Transactions, ii (Cambridge, 1836). The reference to the bison appears on pp. 139, 140, wherein Gallatin claims to have had upon his farm in western Pennsylvania a mixed-breed ox of the domestic cattle and bison stock.—Ed.
[123] The "Metamore" steamer was built at Louisville in 1832. For these St. Louisians, see our volume xxii, pp. 235, 282, 314, notes 168, 239, 274, respectively.—Ed.
[124] The "Boone's Lick" was built at Pittsburg in 1833; she was when built one of the largest of the river boats, being of two hundred and ninety-five tons displacement.—Ed.
[125] The "Mediterranean" and "Chester" were both built at Pittsburg in 1832; the former, of six hundred tons burden, exceeded any other river craft by nearly two hundred tons.—Ed.
[126] See Plate 7, in the accompanying atlas, our volume xxv.—Ed.
[127] For Maximilian's earlier visit to New Harmony, see our volume xxii, pp. 163-197.—Ed.
[128] Robert Dale Owen (1801-77) was the son of the founder of the New Harmony community. Born in Glasgow, he was educated largely in Switzerland, and came to the United States with his father in 1825. After the failure of the community, the younger Owen conducted a journal in New York for some years; but, having married, he returned to New Harmony about the time of Maximilian's visit, to make this his permanent home. He was influential in Indiana politics, serving in the State legislature (1835-41), two terms representing his state in Congress (1843-47), and materially assisting in the revision of the Indiana constitution in 1850. In 1853 he was appointed chargé d'affaires at Naples, being later raised to ministerial rank (1855-58). Owen was a radical in religion and politics, and to spread his opinions wrote many books. His argument for immediate emancipation is said to have had much weight with Lincoln.—Ed.
[129] William A. Twigg, son of a clergyman of the Church of England, was one of the original members of the New Harmony community; his descendants still live in the region. See George B. Lockwood, New Harmony Communities (Marion, Indiana, 1902).
Alexander Maclure, brother of William, one of the founders of the New Harmony settlement, was the person Maximilian here intends. He lived for many years at this place.—Ed.
[130] For Mrs. Trollope and her notes on America, see our volume xxi, p. 44, note 24 (Wyeth).—Ed.
[131] Owensville, in Gibson County, was laid out in 1817 and named for Thomas Owens of Kentucky. John C. Warrick was the first merchant and postmaster. By 1900 the town had attained a population of 1,019.—Ed.
[132] For Volney, see Flint's Letters, in our volume ix, p. 237, note 121.—Ed.
[133] For a brief notice of Princeton, Indiana, see Hulme's Journal, in our volume x, p. 46, note 16.—Ed.
[134] White River rises near the Ohio line, and flows southwest across Indiana into the Wabash, embouching between Knox and Gibson counties. It is the largest stream wholly within the state, and waters a fertile, well-wooded valley of about nine thousand square miles.—Ed.
[135] For an historical sketch of Vincennes, see Croghan's Journals, in our volume i, p. 141, note 113. Warrior's Hill was called by the Americans under George Rogers Clark (1779), Warrior's Island, since they had, upon the expedition against Vincennes, been wading through a submerged district, and found this grove of oaks the first considerable spot of dry land on which to encamp. It was situated immediately northeast of Grand Morass Pond, in full view of Vincennes. See Thwaites, How George Rogers Clark won the Northwest; for a detailed account, consult C. W. Butterfield, George Rogers Clark's Conquest of the Illinois and the Wabash Towns, 1778 and 1779 (Columbus, Ohio, 1904), pp. 323-326, 711.—Ed.
[136] François Margane, sieur de Vincennes, is frequently confused with his uncle, Jean Baptiste Bissot, also sieur de Vincennes. Both commanded for the French among the Miami Indians, but the younger built (probably in 1727) the fort at the site called by his name. He was born in Canada in 1672, succeeded to his uncle's estate in 1719, and about the same time came to the Wabash. His death occurred during the Chickasaw campaign (1736); while leading the Miami contingent he was captured and burned at the stake. The town of Vincennes was frequently called "O Post," a corruption of the French form "Au poste."—Ed.
[137] The residence of General William Henry Harrison, first governor of Indiana Territory, still stands in the northwestern portion of the town, at the intersection of Water and Scott streets. It was the earliest brick mansion in this section of the country, and was begun in 1805 on the plantation that Harrison had bought the previous year, and named "Grouseland." At this place occurred the famous interview between its owner and Tecumseh, the Indian chief who was afterwards vanquished in the battle of Tippecanoe (1811). Upon Harrison's departure for North Bend, Grouseland became the residence of his son, John Cleve Symmes Harrison, whose wife was the only child of General Zebulon M. Pike. The gardens were long noted for their beauty.—Ed.
[138] Jean Badollet, born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1758, was the son of a Protestant minister. He was a college friend of Albert Gallatin, and at his request immigrated in 1785 to the United States. Taking charge of a colonizing project in southwestern Pennsylvania, he for some years acted as Gallatin's business manager. Upon the organization of Indiana Territory, Badollet was appointed register of the land office, removing to Vincennes, which he thereafter made his home. He retained his office until 1836, when his son was appointed in his stead. Badollet served as a member of the constitutional convention of Indiana in 1816 and strongly opposed the introduction of slavery into the new state. His latter years were clouded because of poor health, and he died in 1837.—Ed.
[139] For a brief sketch of Vigo, see André Michaux's Travels, in our volume iii, p. 31, note 8.—Ed.
[140] The highest Indian mounds of the state are found in the vicinity of Vincennes. For a critical discussion, see E. T. Cox, "Archæology," in Indiana Historical Society Publications, i, pp. 217-240.—Ed.
[141] For Washington, Indiana, see Faux's Journal, in our volume xi, p. 203, note 68.
Mount Pleasant was a post village on the Vincennes-New Albany turnpike, thirty-five miles east of the old capital. It was the seat for Martin County until 1846; but being avoided by the railroad, has declined in importance, having now no post-office.—Ed.
[142] The turnpike road being followed by the travellers crossed Daviess, Martin and Orange counties, substantially along the line of the present Ohio and Mississippi Railway.
For Paoli, see Welby's English Settlements, in our volume xii, p. 230, note 37.
"Litcreek" is Lick Creek, a small westward-flowing affluent of the East Fork of White River, in Orange and Martin counties, Indiana.
For Samuel Chambers, see Hulme's Journal, in our volume x, p. 62, note 29.—Ed.
[143] Greenville is a small post village in Floyd County, Indiana, twelve miles northwest of New Albany; in 1900 it had a population of three hundred.
For New Albany, consult Hulme's Journal, in our volume x, p. 44, note 15.—Ed.
[144] For the Swiss settlement of southeastern Indiana, of which Vevay was the capital, see our volume v, p. 316, note 164.—Ed.
[145] Rising Sun, of Ohio County, Indiana, thirty-five miles southwest of Cincinnati, was platted (1814) by John James, an emigrant from Maryland. Its population in 1900 was 1,548.
Aurora, in Dearborn County, four miles below Lawrenceburgh, was laid out in 1819, and incorporated three years later. At the time of Maximilian's visit the population was about six hundred; by 1900 it had increased to 3,645.
Petersburg was a small hamlet three miles below Aurora; it never attained commercial prosperity.
For Lawrenceburgh, see our volume xiii, p. 62, note 36.—Ed.
[146] See Mrs. Trollope's description in Domestic Manners of Americans (London 1832), pp. 68-70.
For William Bullock, whose residence was at Hygeia, near Covington, Kentucky, see our volume xix, preface.—Ed.
[147] For a brief sketch of Dr. Drake, see Nuttall's Journal, in our volume xiii p. 61, note 35.—Ed.
[148] Richard, a younger son of Robert Owen, was born at New Lanark, Scotland, in 1810. He was educated chiefly in Switzerland, and came to New Harmony (1828) fresh from his literary studies. His tastes inclining to scientific pursuits, he was associated with his brother, David Dale, in several geological surveys, among them an exploration (1849) of Lake Superior. He engaged in the Mexican War with the rank of captain, and in the War of Secession held an Indiana colonelcy. Upon the death of his brother (1860), Richard Owen was appointed Indiana state geologist, and for fifteen years thereafter held the chair of natural science in the state university, publishing a Key to the Geology of the Globe. Upon retirement from professional duties, Owen returned to New Harmony, where he occupied the Rapp mansion until his death in 1890.—Ed.
[149] For a sketch of the history of Portsmouth, see Nuttall's Journal, in our volume xiii, p. 59, note 31.—Ed.
CHAPTER XXXII
PASSAGE OF THE OHIO CANAL AND LAKE ERIE TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA, FROM THE 21ST TO THE 30TH OF JUNE
Voyage on the Ohio Canal—Chillicothe—Circleville—Licking Summit, the Highest Part of the Canal—Hebron—Fall of the Canal at Akron—Cleveland—Lake Erie; its Navigation—Buffalo—The Seneca Indians—The Six Nations—Niagara River—The Village of Niagara—The Falls of Niagara—Divine Worship of the Tuscarora Indians.
Portsmouth is rather an inconsiderable town, with low houses, and broad, unpaved streets, built in the angle of the confluence of the Sciotto with the Ohio. Here begins the Ohio Canal, which connects that river with Lake Erie.[150] This fine canal is navigated by numerous boats, which are built in the same style as the keel-boats of the Missouri, but have many convenient small chambers; they are from seventy-seven to eighty feet in length, fourteen in breadth, and are drawn by two horses, on which the driver is seated. These Ohio Canal boats are not so well arranged and fitted up as those on the Erie Canal, where they have distinct boats for passengers and goods, which is not here the case. They are also slower, because fewer horses are employed. In the middle of the boat is the long space for the goods; in front two small cabins; and at the back is the saloon or dining room. At the sides of the cabins are cushioned seats, on which, as well as on the floor, the beds are arranged for the night. In the other cabins are berths for the ladies.
On the afternoon of the day on which we arrived we went on board a canal boat, where I met with an agreeable, well-informed, travelling companion in Dr. Pitcher, an attentive observer of nature, and military physician of Fort Gibson, on the River Orkansa, who was accompanied by his family.[151] We set out at six o'clock in the afternoon, with very fine weather. The banks of the canal were covered with wood, especially sugar maples. Before night we came to some {486} sluices, and a mill with seventy saws for cutting freestone, which is found in the neighbourhood, into blocks for building, tombstones, &c.
On the 21st we passed through very fine forests of sugar maples and beeches, where numerous baltimores were flying about. The country is very fertile; it was formerly clothed with wood; and the detached block-houses of the settlers are constantly met with. On many spots of the surrounding hills the may-apple (Podophyllum) grew in abundance; others were covered with an undergrowth of the papaw tree: the kingfisher was frequently seen on the banks of the canal. Near three combined sluices is a feeder, which connects the canal with the Sciotto. There is a weir in the river, in the deep waters of which it is said there are a very great number of soft-shell tortoises. About a league and a half from Chillicothe, after passing Indian Creek, the canal is carried over a stream called Paint Creek. This aqueduct is broad, has three arches, and two stone pillars, over which the water of the canal flows; and on each side of the aqueduct is a floored way, with a railing for the horses and foot passengers. Towards evening we arrived at Chillicothe, a small town, with 2000 or 3000 inhabitants, in the wild and fertile valley, which is evidently in a state of rapid improvement.[152] There are about 150 Germans here, who are in general well spoken of. The breeding of cattle is the chief occupation of the inhabitants of this part of the country, and they export oxen and swine. They have, however, begun likewise to follow agriculture, and now export a small quantity of wheat.
When the first planters settled here, they found two Indian tribes—the Shawnees of the Americans, or Chavenons of the French, and the Wyandots, who had been driven hither from the north.[153] On the spot where the town now stands were formerly several conical Indian barrows, in one of which were found some bones, potsherds, and beads, which were made of hard wood. Another barrow was composed, at the upper part, of stones; it contained bones, and two copper bracelets, which appeared to be beaten or hammered, not cast. A third barrow, overgrown with trees, which still exists, and is situated on a rather lofty wooded eminence, had at the summit a mixture of sand and stones, and then clay, under which were ashes mixed with bones, which crumbled away when exposed to the air.[154]
An extremely violent thunder-storm, with torrents of rain, surprised us when we were leaving Chillicothe, at nine o'clock in the evening, where an obliging German, of the name of Bauman, had given us hospitable entertainment. We proceeded during the night, and early in the morning of the 22nd passed several sluices, and then traversed a low, wooded country on the Sciotto, which is here full of small verdant islands, covered with trees. Fine lofty forest trees adorned the country; the elder bushes were in blossom; and the red-headed woodpecker and the kingfisher everywhere displayed their beautiful plumage. We now came to the considerable town of Circleville, which has many brick buildings, and must have increased greatly since {487} it was visited by Duke Bernhard of Saxe Weimar.[155] The duke gives a detailed description of the remarkable ancient walls, in the interior of which this place was built; but they have been greatly demolished since that time. The court-house stands in the centre of the Indian circle wall, and the greater part of the town still lies within it. This wall enclosed a space of seventeen acres and three quarters, but the greater part of it has now disappeared. Withoutside the western extremity lies a hill, from whose summit an admirable view of the town, &c., is obtained. Here, too, we see another deplorable instance of the love of destruction which animates the Americans; for, instead of preserving these interesting ancient remains with the greatest care, they have erected buildings exactly on the site of the levelled walls, respecting the former state and opening of which nothing now remains, except some scanty, superficial accounts given by Attwater and other American writers.[156]
After we left Circleville we saw, on the canal, a great number of shells (Unio), of a greenish colour, with darker stripes, which are very frequent here; most of them were floating without the animal, which was, however, found dead in some of them. The canal traverses a country agreeably diversified with wood and meadows, which was formerly covered with uninterrupted primeval forests. We saw, likewise, some low, marshy land, overgrown with rushes and reeds, upon which the beautiful oriole (Psaroc phoeniceus), with its splendid plumage, was sitting. This fine bird lives chiefly in the marshes and by the water-side, where it builds its nest. Sandpipers, and other birds of that kind, animated the low meadows; and among the bushes I saw the rice-bird.
After traversing a wooded country, with remarkably fine sugar maples and walnut trees, we came to Walnut Creek, which flows through a shady forest. Near the little town, Lockbourn, which was founded only three years ago, there are eight sluices close together, where the Columbia feeder issues from the canal, which rises at this place about 100 feet, and then runs along the eminence.[157] The forest is not so lofty on the summit, and the tops of many of the trees are withered. Thus we traversed by water the fine forest of the state of Ohio, and, as it was Sunday, saw the inhabitants in their best dresses. It was a most agreeable journey, during which we sat quite at our ease on the deck. We had left the Sciotto at Lockbourn, passed Waterloo, Winchester, Havensport, New Baltimore, and Millersport, and on the morning of the 23rd reached the highest point over which the canal has to pass.[158] This point is called Licking Summit, because it is in Licking township, in the county of Muskingum, which contains the towns of Irville and Nashport. From Portsmouth to the highest point of the canal there are fifty-one sluices.[159] At sunrise we reached Hebron, a town commenced in November, 1825, in Union township, on the great national road from Zanesville to Columbus, which commences at Hagerstown, comes from Cumberland, on the Potomac, and passes through the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.[160] Many workmen were employed upon the road, and a quantity of stones was brought, on the canal, in large square flat boats. About nine o'clock we passed the first three sluices downwards, {488} for the canal gradually descends from Licking Summit to Lake Erie. We came to Licking River, and soon after to the little town of Newark, through which the canal passes. In the year 1830 Newark had 1000 inhabitants, but has now considerably increased. This town has broad streets, a large market-place, and several new churches.[161] All the plantations and fields in this part of the country have fences, on which the red-headed woodpecker is frequently seen. Seven miles from Newark the canal joins Licking River, a very pretty little stream, which flows through a picturesque rocky valley, overgrown with pines and other trees. The rocks, which appear to consist of grauwacke, have a singular stratification, with caverns in which the cattle seek the protection of the shade from the sultry sun. The passage of about a mile or a mile and a half through this beautiful wooded chain of hills is very romantic. It is succeeded by open spots with plantations, where the canal leaves the Licking, which it soon afterwards approaches more closely. In the hollow between the two waters many lofty trees were growing, especially planes and poplars, partly entwined with lovely climbers. It is sixteen miles from Newark to Nashport, a small place, where some Indian barrows still exist. The bank of the canal is covered with verbascum in flower, which was introduced from Europe. Ironstone and coal are found in the vicinity. On the banks there is always some wood, but not so tall or luxuriant as on and near the Ohio. Sometimes we came to picturesque spots, then to sluices, and to a great many bridges, under which the boats have to pass: sometimes the canal runs in a straight line through beech forests. About twenty-three miles from Newark it is carried, at a considerable height, over the Tomaha Creek. We then came to the village of Frazeysburg, a place with detached wooden houses, where many witch-hazel bushes grow on the side of the canal, the branches of which were formerly used for divination, like those of the hazel bush in Europe; for this superstition was brought by the emigrants across the Atlantic Ocean.[162]
During the night we passed the little villages of Webbsport and Roscoe, and at daybreak came to Evansburg, and then to New-comers Town, a village which has now only seven or eight houses.[163] The country round is pleasant and diversified. In the canal a yellow-striped snake swam rapidly past us. We had seen the black snake and the water snake the day previous. Near the village of Port Washington, the valley was broad and wooded;[164] having passed which, we came to Gnadenhütten, a village consisting of about seven houses, originally founded by the Moravians, who have, however, abandoned it. The present inhabitants are chiefly of German origin; they speak German, and among them were some newly arrived German settlers.[165] In this country, near Trenton and Newcastle, are considerable coal mines.
At Lockport, a small village in Tuscarora county, there are beautiful prospects from the river; the banks are clothed with forests, the stagnant branches are covered with nymphæa, and other water plants, and immense plains stand in the valleys. At Dover, a neat little town, in an agreeable situation, the canal comes very near the river; over this is a large covered bridge, in the {489} erection, much timber has been needlessly expended.[166] Not far from Dover is Zoar, a pretty settlement of Würtemberg Separatists, at which we arrived in the cool of the evening. A man named Bäumler, who is advanced in years, but said to possess considerable talents, is the chief of this colony; it is in Tuscarora County, on the east bank of the river of the same name.[167] In the year 1833, this colony had sixty very neat buildings, all roofed with new red tiles, which are not common in America, and which looked remarkably well in the green valley. At a distance we observed considerable buildings, and the inn in the form of a church. The Ohio Gazetteer says, that the settlement was originally founded on a piece of land of 4,000 acres, which the company purchased in 1810, and the greater part of which is now well cultivated.[168] The Separatists possess, besides, 1500 or 2000 acres of land in the vicinity, as well as some vineyards, which are said to produce very good wine. The situation of Zoar, at the bottom of the broad level valley, with luxuriant fields and lofty trees, at a short distance from the river, is extremely pleasant. The inhabitants are said to be very industrious, and to have several manufactories, and I regret that I was unable to make myself better acquainted with this interesting place. A long wooden bridge is thrown across the canal and the river: close by is an inn, built by the inhabitants, and called the Zoar Canal Hotel. Just as I was at the spot, the shepherd drove a numerous flock of sheep over the bridge, and answered my questions in genuine Swabian German. His entire dress and equipments were quite in the German fashion: a shepherd's crook, a broad leather bandolier, ornamented with brass figures, a flat broad-brimmed hat, and a large grey coat; a costume very uncommon in America. His dogs, too, were exceedingly careful in keeping the flock together. During the night we passed the villages of Bolivar and Bethlehem, and at daybreak, on the 25th of June, were at Massillon, a picturesque spot, in Stark County, which was founded in 1826, and has now 100 houses and 500 inhabitants.[169]
At eight o'clock we reached Fulton, a village with some neat houses in Stark County. This whole country was manifestly once covered with a primeval forest. The cat-bird was common on the banks; we observed turtles, bull-frogs, and tree-frogs, and often saw snakes swimming rapidly across the canal. There were most charming wood scenes on the Tuscarora, where a dwarf-rose grew in abundance, and had a most pleasing appearance with its large flowers. About noon we reached the town of New Portage, where the traders used formerly to convey the goods which were intended for the trade with the Indians, from one river to the other. Soon afterwards we came to a marshy place, with a forest of larches, which shed their leaves in the winter time: it grows round a small lake, through which the canal passes. A bridge is built over the whole length of the lake, for the horses which tow the canal boats. A little further on, where the canal expands into a kind of small lake, is Akron, a considerable town in a remarkable situation.[170] It was founded in 1825 in Portage County, and has already an extensive trade, many neat wooden houses, stores, manufactories, an iron foundry, and an establishment where, {490} by means of a wheel, bedsteads and other articles of furniture are turned. At Akron the valley begins to decline rapidly: the canal passes through the middle of the town, and, in order to bring the boats down from a considerable, steep, rocky eminence, ten or twelve sluices are erected one above the other. The vicinity is one of the most curious spots on the course of the canal, with scattered buildings, a busy population, much water, and fine forests. On reaching the foot of the eminence, you glide along the beautiful dark brown mirror of the canal, through luxuriant verdure, where wood and meadows alternate, and the tall tulip, walnut, and sassafras trees reflect their graceful forms in the unruffled surface of the water. The sluices, of which we counted twenty-one in a space of two miles and a half, were at greater intervals from each other as we approached the River Cayahoga, which the canal follows to Lake Erie.[171]
The next morning we were still five miles from Lake Erie, a distance which we accomplished at about ten o'clock, when we reached the little town of Cleveland. The sea-like expanse of the large Lake Erie was very striking when emerging from the wooded valleys, and the sight of it reminded me of my approaching voyage to my native country. The dark blue lake stretches to the far horizon, like the ocean; the eye is attracted by the white sails and the smoke of the steam-boats; while the finest weather and the purest atmosphere favoured the illusion.
Cleveland is a large, rapidly improving town, with several thousand inhabitants, full of life, trade, and business.[172] It is situated in Cayahoga or Cuyahoga County, and is built partly on a high ridge, partly on the river below. The outskirts are scattered, but the principal streets are regular. It contains many large buildings, several churches, a school or academy, a prison, good inns, and numerous shops and stores; the trade is very considerable in consequence of the junction of the great lakes with the Ohio and the Mississippi. Numbers of canal boats are assembled here, and also the two-masted schooners which navigate the lake. Several large, commodious steamers, generally full of passengers, come and depart daily. The Cayahoga flows through the lower part of the town; both sides of the mouth of the river are lined with wood; and on the right bank there is a long mole, with a lighthouse at the extremity. A second lighthouse is built a little to the right, upon an eminence; and in the far distance, on the right hand, the coast is lost in the misty horizon, and, on the left, disappears amid thick forests.
We met with many Germans at Cleveland, especially newly-arrived emigrants, and also an obliging young fellow-countryman, whom I had seen at Pittsburg, and who had obtained a good situation in a mercantile house in this place. Several steam-boats arrived and departed, bound to Detroit, and, at length, the Oliver Newbery came in, on its way to Buffalo. I immediately availed myself of the opportunity to visit that town, and set out from Cleveland at noon. On leaving the mouth of the Cayahoga there is an uninterrupted view of the vast expanse of Lake Erie, the splendid bluish-green waters of which, like those of all the great Canadian lakes, are exactly of the same colour as those of Switzerland. The dark brown waters of the Cayahoga are strongly contrasted {491} to a considerable distance with those of the lake.[173] We steered along the south bank, where we had a fine prospect of Cleveland, and we were favoured by the most charming weather, which showed the lake to great advantage: in a storm the waves often run very high, and prove dangerous to navigation. The southern or American shore is not much elevated; the northern forms the boundary of Canada, the English possessions in North America. The south coast has no lofty eminences, and is entirely covered with forests. The steamer touched at Fairport, Ashtabula, and Salem, where great numbers of bats were hovering over the entrance into the port. After leaving Salem our engine got into disorder; and on the following morning, the 27th, we reached Dunkirk, a small place, built in the Dutch fashion, of which there is no mention in the Ohio Gazetteer of 1833.[174] A lighthouse stands on a neighbouring point of land. At eleven o'clock we came in sight of Buffalo, lying at the end of the lake, where we saw a race between two large steam-boats. As we approached the town, where we landed at twelve o'clock, a great number of steamers presented a very animated scene. Buffalo has been rapidly improving of late, and in a few years will be a considerable and important place. It has at present about 1000 houses, and 12,000 inhabitants, and promises to become one of the chief commercial ports of the country. The Erie Canal, which connects the great lakes with the eastern seaports of the Union, commences here. In the summer months, the neighbouring Falls of Niagara attract a great number of strangers, all of whom visit Buffalo. The streets of this town are, for the most part, regular and broad, crossing each other at right angles, and contain many handsome brick buildings, large inns, nine or ten churches and chapels, and good shops and magazines of every kind. In the lower part of the town, the water of the lake and the canal has been conducted into the streets, forming small harbours, where numbers of ships lie in perfect security. The town extends along the slope, and on the ridge of a gentle eminence; and from one of the highest points there is a striking prospect of the bright mirror of Lake Erie, which vanishes in the misty distance, and on the land side, of the Niagara River, and its opposite or Canadian bank. Buffalo was burnt by the English in 1814; it is said that only one house was left standing. The town was not immediately rebuilt, and it is only since the construction of the fine Erie Canal that it has risen so rapidly. When we consider the shortness of the time, the sudden improvement of the town, which is now of so much importance, really seems incredible; and perhaps there is no other country in the world where such a sudden rise would be possible.[175] They are now laying down iron railroads, one of which is to lead to Niagara. There are at present above thirty steam-boats for the communication between Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and Niagara, and the number increases every year. The object, however, which most attracted me was the village of the Seneca Indians, in the vicinity of Buffalo. They possess a piece of land, which begins a mile and a half southeast of the town. Here they live in small, neat, wooden houses, which are surrounded by their fields {492} and plantations, in a wooded country, and the pretty little church is in the centre of this Indian colony. The Indians who are settled here are employed in agriculture, the breeding of cattle and horses; and, like other country people, they go to the town with their wagons. Their dress is nearly the same as that of the Whites. Both the men and women frequently wear round felt hats: the men have, in general, a red girdle under their large blue upper coat, and the women wrap themselves in blankets. I found the physiognomy of most of these people quite genuine and characteristically Indian, as well as the brown colour, and their smooth, coal-black hair; some of them do not much differ in this respect from the Missouri tribes. A good many of them speak English, but some are quite ignorant of it; and, in their communications with each other, all use the old Indian dialect. It is said that there were at first 900 Indians settled here, mostly Senecas, mixed with a few Onondagos and Cayugas; but their numbers have decreased. All these tribes spoke the same language. They received from the government 49,000 acres of very fine fertile land. They have a clergyman and a school. The inn is kept by a half-breed Indian, who, however, did not appear to value himself on his Indian descent, but rather desired to be considered a white man.[176]
The Senecas are one of the six nations who, in former times, were the enemies of the French in Canada, and, with the exception of the Oneidas, assisted the English, in the war of 1775, against the Americans. The works of Charlevoix, Lahontan, and Colden, give information respecting the history of these once powerful, warlike people, who dwelt on the borders of the great lakes. The six allied nations were the Senecas, Cayugas, Onondagos, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, and Mohawks; the latter came from the south, and were admitted at a later period into the union of the five tribes.[177]
We visited some of these families, who showed us their bibles and prayer books in the Indian language; we bought specimens of their work, adorned with porcupine and other dyed quills, and likewise bows and arrows, which they still esteem. Deeply regretting the destruction of the remarkable aboriginal inhabitants of the east of North America, I returned in the evening to Buffalo, where our baggage and the live animals were embarked under the superintendence of Dreidoppel, on board an Erie Canal boat, for Albany, a distance of 363 miles. I myself took a place in the stage for Niagara, and we left Buffalo on the 28th of June. The road lies along the Erie Canal, which is here parallel with the River Niagara, passes through the village of Blackrock, and, near the hamlet of Tonawanta, crosses the creek of that name, which falls, at no great distance, into the river.[178]
The River Niagara issues from the east end of Lake Erie, forming the channel which connects it with Lake Ontario, the level of which is lower. The length of the course of the Niagara, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, is 36½ miles, and its fall in this distance amounts to 322 feet. It is the frontier between Canada and the United States, and forms, between the two great lakes, the celebrated waterfall. Its surface is adorned with several islands, the largest of which, called {493} Grand Island, was sold in 1815, by the Seneca Indians, to the state of New York, for 1000 dollars, and an annuity of 500 dollars. This island is said to be twelve miles long, and from two to seven broad: it is in the vicinity of Lake Erie, and the river is afterwards pretty free from islands till you come near the falls, where there are several small ones. The water of the Niagara has the splendid green colour of the Swiss lakes, and is nearly twice as broad as the Rhine; on the opposite bank is the village of Chippeway, where, on the 5th of July, 1814, there was an action, in which the English were defeated.[179]
There is a considerable population along the road from Tonawanta to the falls of Niagara, which are twenty-two miles from Buffalo. Towards noon we came to the village of Niagara, which we entered at the side furthest from the river, and put up at a very good inn. It is a small village close to the falls, forming two irregular unpaved streets, but containing some good houses.[180] The banks present a very picturesque diversity, with pines and other trees, bearing a general resemblance to the scenery of Switzerland. Opposite to our inn was the house of a man named Hooker, who acts as guide to travellers visiting the falls, and has a small collection of natural curiosities, and specimens of Indian manufacture.
The grand, sublime scene, which we now visited, has been described by a vast number of travellers—Larochefaucault-Liancourt, Weld, Volney,[181] and many others since their time;[182] so that all accounts must be in some measure mere repetitions; but, as the diversity of such descriptions can but tend to give a more correct view of the subject, a few remarks may not be considered irrelevant here.
At a short distance from the village of Niagara, the river, which, according to Volney, is 1200 feet in breadth, begins to flow in an uneven rocky bed, with a rapid descent, and its whole surface is, in many places, in violent commotion, covered with white foam, and, as it were, boiling, in consequence of its breaking in high waves against the masses of rock. Portions of these rocks, the larger of which deserve the name of islands, are covered with pines, some green, others in a decayed state: of these rocky islets there are fifteen above the falls. The pines being frequently broken and snapped, and here and there piled up in the water, greatly contribute to heighten the effect of the savage grandeur and sublimity of the scene. The roaring of the cataract is heard at a considerable distance,[183] and lofty columns of mist and vapour ascend into the air. The stranger is conducted from the village to the above-mentioned rapid, and then proceeds, by a long, strongly-built wooden bridge over the end of the rapid, to Bath Island, where there are warm and cold baths (a, in the subjoined woodcut).[184] A considerable paper-mill has {494} been erected here, and a toll for passing the bridge is paid, once for all, for the whole time you may remain here. The toll-keeper sells refreshments and various curiosities of the country, minerals, Indian rarities, and the like.
A second bridge leads from Bath Island to Goat Island,[185] which is about seventy acres in extent, entirely covered with a beautiful forest of sugar maples, beeches, hornbeams, elms, birches, &c., beneath which the asarabaca, may-apple, and various other plants, are growing; none of them were, however, in flower. The shores of this island are shaded by old pines and very large white cedars, such as we should in vain look for in Europe, and many fine shrubs grow on the banks. There were formerly a great number of Virginian deer in this beautiful forest, but they grew so familiar, and became so troublesome by running after strangers, that they were removed. The blueheaded jay and the Hudson's Bay squirrel are numerous. From the bridge which leads to Goat Island there is a convenient path, on the right hand, which goes along the shore through the wood; and, after proceeding a short distance, the stranger suddenly finds himself on the rather steep declivity, immediately above the fall of the right or southern arm of the river, which is called the American branch. The sight is striking, and much grander than all the descriptions I had read of it led me to conceive. The broad expanse of bright green water falls perpendicularly 144 to 150 feet into the abyss below, which is entirely concealed by the vapour, the whole torrent of falling water being completely dissolved into foam and mist in the midway of its descent. Below the fall, and before its surface is quite calm, it recovers its green colour, which is, of course, totally lost in the rapidity of its descent. To make my description more clear, I subjoin a little plan of the cataracts drawn by Mr. George Catlin,[186] and published in Featherstonehaugh's "Essay on the Ancient Drainage of North America, and the Origin of the Cataract of Niagara," in the Monthly American Journal of Geology, Vol. I., July, 1831.
Plan of Niagara Falls
Harpoon for dolphins
The southern or American part of the fall, c, is divided above by a narrow rocky island, f, to which a bridge has been thrown. This rocky island is closely overgrown with white cedar {495} (Arbor vitæ), the tall, thick, whitish trunks of which, with their stiff, extended boughs, scarcely leave space for the shrubs that grow between them, in which the cedar bird (Bombycilla cedrorum) builds its nest. The northern chatterer or silk tail, of which the Prince of Musignano[187] has given a plate in his "Supplement to Wilson's Ornithology," is likewise found here in small companies during the winter. After we had admired the lesser, or American part of the fall, we returned to the top of Goat Island, again following the path which now runs along the eastern edge of the island through the dark shade of the forest, and, having gone between 500 and 600 paces, came in sight of the second larger fall, which is called the English or Horse-shoe Fall, b, which is formed by the left, or the northern arm of the river. This splendid waterfall occupies the whole breadth of the bed of the river, forming, towards the Canadian shore, a receding angle, where the masses of water from both sides of the Horse-shoe meeting each other, fall, with a thundering noise, in one conjoined body, 150 feet perpendicular height. The clouds of vapour that rise from this cataract are far more considerable than those of the American fall. They cover and veil the neighbouring rocky, wooded banks, by their rising columns, in which the sun forms the most beautiful rainbows. In the angle of the fall, where the waters, pouring from three several sides, meet with a fearful concussion, and, dissolving into snow-white spray, are lost to the eye in vapour, they rage and boil with tremendous fury. This is the focus from whence rise the clouds of steam and vapour which involve the circumjacent country to a great distance in rain and mist, and, according to the direction of the wind, assume manifold and most fantastic forms.
In order to approach nearer to the sublime scene, a staircase has been contrived on the steep bank at the place where we now stood, and where a small house, with seats, m, has been built; and below, at h, a wooden tower is erected, with a winding stair, from the upper gallery of which, as well as from windows made here and there at the sides, there is a view of the wondrous scene, gradually changing as you ascend. Here we were struck mute at the overwhelming sight of this abyss of waters.
Beautiful plants grow among the boulders, the rocks on the banks of the river, such as the gueldar rose, the white cedar, the Rubus odoratus, now flowering in all its loveliness, the lime, maple, and sumach. By proceeding from the waterfall, below the bank of Goat Island, along the river, and round the point of the island, we come to the cauldron of the American fall, and can almost go under the precipitous mass of waters, at the risk of encountering the penetrating rain and wind. In the same manner one may likewise get under the Horse-shoe Fall, and both are points of view indescribably interesting. We now ascended the wooden stair, and came to the small house, from whence, in the gloomy shade of the forest, we enjoyed a view of the surpassing scene from above. The walls are here completely covered with names and initials of visitants from all quarters of the globe. After resting here, the delighted spectator is conducted, by another stair, to the river below, and thence, across a long wooden bridge, to a high stone tower, built on the {496} rock, in the water. This tower is erected immediately over the angle of the Horse-shoe abyss; it is ascended by a stair, and the visitor is suddenly transported into an entirely new scene of stupendous magnificence. The eye is lost in the depth of the foaming whirlpool, the light spray of which envelops the admiring spectator, whose ear is stunned with the roaring sound of the cataract. No language can describe the grandeur and sublime impression of the scene, from which we could with difficulty tear ourselves. We remained long lost in admiration while contemplating the unique phenomenon; and, returning to our inn, made an excursion, some time afterwards, to the other side of the river. For this purpose we descended, by a covered wooden staircase, from the village of Niagara to the south side of the American fall, and came to the bank of the river below the falls. Though not more than 300 or 400 paces beneath them, the water is but very slightly agitated, and we were soon ferried over to the Canadian bank. Here we had the falls directly before us, and enjoyed an excellent view of both. From this spot Mr. Bodmer took his general view of this sublime scene, which is the best that I have yet met with, and is, in every respect, perfectly faithful to nature.[188] On the eminence above there is what is here called a confectionary, in which there are some tolerably good representations of the falls by Megarey. From this place we went to an isolated house, in which an Englishman has placed a zoological cabinet, which contains a fine collection of the birds of Canada. It occupies two stories of the house, and is shown for money. There are many interesting specimens, but I met with only a few that I could purchase. At a short distance from this house is a small projection from the high bank, called Table Rock, from which there is an incomparable view of the Horse-shoe Fall, which has been described by many persons.[189] At a neighbouring dwelling the curious traveller is provided with a covering of oiled silk, or oiled cloth, to enable him, without getting wet, to descend a high flight of steps which leads him under the rushing mass of waters of the Canadian fall.
The next day being Sunday, I took the opportunity to go and see divine service performed among the Tuscarora Indians, who are settled about eight miles from the Falls of Niagara. The road to it leads towards Lake Ontario, along the high banks of the beautiful Niagara River, alternating with woods and fields, where the inhabitants live dispersed in their wooden houses. The forests consist of furs, Weymouth pines, oaks, chestnuts (the latter in full bloom), sassafras, and wild cherry trees, the fruit of which was not yet ripe. The European fruit trees were loaded with fruit, and appeared not to have suffered from the frost, but the Italian poplar does not seem to thrive in this climate. About three miles from Niagara, the view, looking back on the falls, was very striking; the clouds of spray and vapour rose at this time very high, and were most splendidly illumined by the sun's rays. A mile and a half further on we looked down into a wild ravine, 150 or 200 feet, overgrown with pines and other trees, under which the river forms a rapid, covered with white foam. This rapid is called the Devil's Hole; but the descriptions {497} given of it are greatly exaggerated, for in Europe, in Switzerland for instance, there are much grander scenes of this kind. A small English corps here suffered a defeat in the American war, being driven by the Americans and their Indian allies into this ravine.[190]
When I had passed the wood and came again into the fields, where the scattered houses of the Indians, built in the European style, are situated, I saw before me their small white church, and had a near and charming view of the wooded rocky shores of the splendid green Ontario.[191] The scenery about that lake and the Niagara, and that on the banks of the Hudson, is, unquestionably, the finest that I saw in North America. The road leads along the edge of the valley of the Niagara, and affords a wide view into the distant plain beyond Lake Ontario. A gloomy forest extends, without interruption, to the distant horizon, and in the foreground there is a dark inlet, where the end of the lake is hidden by lofty trees. Volney very accurately describes this scene as "Une vêritable mer de forêts, parsemées de quelque fermes et villages, et de nappes d'eau des lacs Iroquois."
I drove up to the church, which was crowded with Indians; the clergyman was already in the pulpit. As he did not understand the language of the Tuscaroras, he preached in English, and the schoolmaster at his side interpreted all he said.[192] When the sermon was ended and prayers read, during which all the Indians remained sitting, the interpreter began to sing, and the congregation, in which there were only three or four Whites, joined in a very good tone, the men generally singing a second part. The clergyman, a young man, who had not been long in this parish, gave me some account of his congregation, which consisted of about 300 souls. Another portion of the Tuscaroras is settled, I think, on Grand River.[193] Very few understand English—they are Presbyterians, and live on the whole like the Senecas, whom they resemble in external appearance, and whose language is the same. There is less originality among them than among the Senecas at Buffalo. Their features, colour, and hair seem to be more changed by their intercourse with the Whites; yet I saw, now and then, a characteristic physiognomy, especially among the women. They are of middle stature, and their dress is like that of the Senecas at Buffalo. They were allied with the English in the American war.
After a stay of several days, the greater part of which was passed on the banks of the great falls, lost in admiration of their sublimity, I took the stage to Tonawanta, intending to return to New York by Lake Erie and the River Hudson.[194]