"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist / A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

by William C. Gage

GRAND ISLAND,

The largest in the River Niagara, is twelve miles in length, its breadth varying from two to seven miles. Its soil, unlike that of the islands nearer the cataract, is very fertile, and much of it is under cultivation. Its historic annals are less interesting than those just mentioned, although one enterprise has a monumental reminder, still in a good state of preservation. A gentleman who in the current vernacular of to-day would doubtless be entitled a “crank,” conceived the project of making this island a place of refuge for the scattered tribes of Israel. In 1825 he laid the corner-stone of the “City of Ararat,” and erected a monument with imposing ceremonies. The latter still serves to remind the visitor that “cranks” are not original with the present generation.

At the foot of Grand Island is a smaller one, of about three hundred acres, called Buckhorn Island. The channel between them is called “Burnt Ship Bay,” from the destruction of two armed supply vessels by the French garrison at Schlosser, near the close of the French war of 1759, to prevent their acquisition by the English. They were brought to this bay, and set on fire, and the circumstance is thus commemorated by the name of the bay.

Corner’s Island, Gill Creek Island and Grass Island, all of them small, lie near the American shore, and are important, commercially or historically.

FATHER HENNEPIN’S SKETCH OF THE FALLS.

The first white man who saw the Falls, of whom we have any account, was Father Hennepin, the noted explorer. We present above a [fac-simile] of the sketch made by him, representing the Falls as they were 200 years ago. We also give his extravagant description, preserving the orthography and the quaint style in which it was written:—

“Betwixt the Lake Ontario and Erie, there is a vast and prodigious Cadence of Water which falls down after a surprizing and astonishing manner, insomuch that the Universe does not afford its Parallel. ’Tis true, Italy and Suedeland boast of some such Things; but we may well say they are but sorry Patterns, when compar’d to this of which we now speak. At the foot of this horrible Precipice, we meet with the River Niagara, which is not above a quarter of a League broad, but is wonderfully deep in some places. It is so rapid above this Descent, that it violently hurries down the wild Beasts while endeavoring to pass it to feed on the other side, they not being able to withstand the force of its Current, which inevitably casts them headlong above Six hundred foot high.

“This wonderful Downfal is compounded of two great Cross-streams of Water, and two Falls, with an Isle sloping along the middle of it. The Waters which fall from this horrible Precipice, do foam and boyl after the most hideous manner imaginable, making an outrageous Noise, more terrible than that of Thunder; for when the Wind blows out of the South, their dismal roaring may be heard more than Fifteen Leagues off.

“The River Niagara having thrown it self down this incredible Precepice, continues its impetuous course for two Leagues together, to the great Rock above-mention’d, with an inexpressible rapidity: But having past that, its impetuosity relents, gliding along more gently for other two Leagues, till it arrive at the Lake Ontario or Frontenac.

“Any Bark or greater Vessel may pass from the Fort to the foot of this huge Rock above-mention’d. This Rock lies to the Westward, and is cut off from the Land by the River Niagara, about two Leagues farther down than the great Fall; for which two Leagues the People are oblig’d to transport their Goods over-land; but the way is very good; and the Trees are but few, chiefly Firrs and Oaks.

“From the great Fall unto this Rock which is to the West of the River, the two Brinks of it are so prodigious high, that it would make one tremble to look steadily upon the Water, rolling along with a rapidity not to be imagin’d. Were it not for this vast Cataract, which interrupts Navigation, they might fail with Barks or greater Vessels, more than Four hundred and fifty Leagues, crossing the Lake of Hurons, and reaching even to the farther end of the Lake Illinois; which two Lakes we may easily say are little Seas of fresh Water.”