CORDUROY ROAD.

the country when they are in great numbers.

135

When

the bark is cut in the manner described, the trees are

said to be girdled.

Our road passed through several thriving villages, Caledonia, Le Roy, Batavia, Alden, &c. Le Roy and Batavia are considerable places, the population of each being about 3000. At our dining inn, they gave us in lieu of a pie or pudding, sliced peaches not quite ripe, and not boiled, mixed up with cream and sugar. We found this substitute for the ripe peach, a very good one.

The last part of the road, before we reached Buffalo, is the most unpleasant that can be imagined, and had almost shaken us to pieces. The ground is swampy, and the road passes over logs or trees cut on the spot, and placed so near, that the wheels pass from the one to the other. There is not enough of earth or other materials between the logs, and the stage makes such swings in getting along, as would break the springs of any British carriage, but the strong leathern belts of the American carriages never give way. The Americans call this a corduroy road. We did not get on for several miles at the rate of more than three miles an hour, and found on our arrival at the Eagle, a very spacious hotel at Buffalo, that supper had been some time finished. An excellent supper was, however, soon provided, and the fatigues of the journey, occasioned by the roughness of the road, were speedily forgotten.

CHAPTER VIII.

Buffalo, on Lake Erie-Burning of Buffalo-Breakfast at BuffaloStage from Buffalo to Falls of Niagara-Expense of Boarding at Buffalo-Village of Black-Rock-Chippewa-Islands in the River Niagara-Grand Island-Rapids in the Niagara-Bath Island and Goat Island-First View of Falls of Niagara-Details-Immensity of the Mass of Water-Mr. Morris's Account of the Falls-Beauty of Rainbows-Darby's Account of the Falls-Swiftness of Current above Falls-Chateaubriand's Escape there-Actions between the British and Americans on the Niagara last War-Great Loss on both sidesCharacter of American Soldiers and Militia-Views of Americans as to Canada-Mr. Clay's Speech-Navigation of the St. LawrenceRight of Impressment, and of Search-Number of Militia of United States-Of the Regular Army-Expense of Canada—Inferior Timber brought from it-Welland and Rideau Canals-Quebec Fortifications -Administration of Canada-Its Resources-Hotels in neighbourhood of Niagara Falls—Inmates in Mr. Forsyth's House-Captain Brant— Mr. Norton-Cyder difficult to be got good-Stage from Niagara Falls to Newark, near Lake Ontario-Steam-Boat Queenston, on Lake Ontario-Basin of St. Lawrence-Contents of Water-Passengers in the Steam-Boat-Depth of Lake Ontario-Kingston-BrockvilleLake of a thousand Islands-Rapid crossed in Steam-Boat to La Prairie -Stage from La Prairie to St. John's on the Outlet from Lake Champlain.

From 9th to 17th September.

BUFFALO is on the Niagara River, the outlet from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, and the Canadian Sea.

BUFFALO-POPULATION.

137

The river is about thirty-five miles long, and the descent to Lake Ontario above 330 feet. The village is close to Lake Erie, on ground somewhat raised above the lake. There is a fine alluvial plain below the village, almost on a level with the lake, and the place is remarkable from being the point where the Erie Canal commences. There are many good-looking hotels; but we are told that the Eagle, which contains accommodation for nearly 200 persons, is the best. We have found it very good. Buildings are going on rapidly, and there is every prospect of Buffalo becoming one of the greatest commercial stations in the State of New York. Its present population is between 5,000 and 6,000, double of what it was four years ago. Buffalo was burnt by the British in the year 1814, in retaliation for devastations of the same kind committed by the Americans at Newark, on the Canadian frontier, near the mouth of the Niagara. Only one house escaped the conflagration at Buffalo.

We took a hurried view of Lake Erie, a sea 250 miles long, and 50 miles broad, and of the village itself, on the morning of the 10th; and on our return from our peregrinations, were ushered into the dining-room of the hotel, about 100 feet long, where from 80 to 100 people were assembled, partaking of as abundant and excellent a breakfast as I have ever seen. We were at once recognised to be strangers; and our neighbours at table vied with each other in showing us civilities, in offering the various sorts of bread and other good things, placed on the different parts of a

8

very long table. This sort of attention we find every where paid to us as strangers, more especially as coming from Britain. The number of travellers here is prodigious, most of them on their way to the shores of the American Mediterranean, of which Buffalo is the first, the eastern port. Mr. Spafford, the geographer, who was here in 1825, writes, "that in 1797, there was not a house from Genessee River to this place, and here only a few huts for Indian traders; that in July 1825, there were passing, as he supposed, 500 persons each day, all going west; and that, from what he had observed, there must be about 1,000 strangers constantly in this village, just arrived, all in a bustle." The breakfast ended, we took our departure by the stage for Niagara Falls. The stage was full of passengers, one of whom, a well-informed, mercantile man, who boarded permanently in the Eagle Hotel, and had an establishment at Buffalo, as well as at Newark, told me, that the weekly charge at the Eagle Hotel for permanent boarders was only two and a-half dollars. Provisions of every kind are extremely cheap at Buffalo ; beef two-pence per lb., &c.

Our route was on the American side of the Niagara, as far as the village of Black-Rock, where we crossed the river, about a mile wide, in a horse ferry-boat. There is a handsome villa, belonging to General Porter, late secretary to the navy for the United States, in the neighbourhood. From Black-Rock we had a very pleasant ride, by a level road along the river side sixteen miles, to Chippewa, the battle-ground of a severely

contested action between the Americans and the British in 1814, and to Niagara Falls, three miles farther. The country we passed through was entirely level, greatly overcropped, and there was very little appearance of industry or exertion to reclaim it. Wherever the stage stopped to water the horses, the doors were crowded with children offering apples and plums for sale; and we saw, for the first time on this side the Atlantic, several beggars.

We distinctly heard the sound of the cataract, about ten miles from the falls; but it is often heard at a far greater distance in favourable states of the wind and atmosphere, even, it is said, thirty miles from them. The spray, appearing like a cloud of smoke, was visible at the distance of more than two miles.

There are many islands in the Niagara, all the way to the falls, and close above them; but the principal island is about half-way between Black-Rock and the falls, called Grand Island, containing between 11,000 and 12,000 acres. The river is about a mile and a half in width below Grand Island, and there the current increases. The river becomes still more contracted on its way to the falls. The rapids succeed, which are swift currents, occasioned by great descents of the river, tumbling perpendicularly, in some places six, eight, and ten feet, over ledges of rock, the whole descent being about sixty feet.

Two small islands, Bath Island and Goat Island, intervene on the American side, very near the falls, and separate the river into two branches, the great