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—Portage around the Falls—The first railroad in the United States—Fort Schlosser—The ambuscade at Devil's Hole—La Salle'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—Former extent of Lake Michigan—Its outlet into the Illinois River—The Niagara 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—The Medina group—Recession long checked—The Whirlpool—The narrowest part of the river—The mirror—Depth of the water in the Chasm—Former grand Fall 42

CHAPTER VIII.

Recession above the present position of the Falls—The Falls will be higher as they recede—Reason Why—Professor Tyndall's prediction—Present and former accumulations of rock—Terrific power of the 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—Railway at 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 of rock—De Veaux College—The Lewiston Suspension Bridge—The Suspension 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—Zambesi or 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

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Map of the Niagara Region 1