Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

580

EXPEDITION TO DETROIT, 1793.

The poor Indian was asleep in his canoe, which was tied to the bank;
it is supposed some wicked person loosed it, and it glided down into
the rapids, when some person hollowed to him; on which he stood up,
struck a few strokes with his paddle to no effect, then wrapped his
head in his blanket, and laid down in his canoe, to meet his horrid
destiny. He was found two miles below; but none of his bones were
broken.
Here I saw the skin of a porcupine, an animal about as large as a
well grown ground hog, with a bushy tail, and claws 'like that animal.
His body was interspersed with a vast number of stiff, pointed quills;
which are its defence when attacked. Here is a beautiful odoriferous
little tree, called the balm of Gilead. It resembles the lombardy poplar. Here also the juniper abounds. They are natives of this latitude.
Gooseberries and currants of divers colors and kinds, are found here.
My route in all, thus far, seven hundred and twenty-one miles.
29th. A wet day-which is a blessing to the earth and its inhabitants hereaway, as it has been exceeding dry.
30th. Joseph Moore, John Elliott and myself, went about two and
a half miles, to visit that phenomenon in nature-the great Falls of
Niagara, whose thunders, for several days, had with awfulness reached
mine ears. When I approached this tremendous cataract, it truly
appeared amazing, and with the voice of thunder, proclaimed the
majesty of its sublime Architect. When we came to the margin of the
river below the falls, we descended the almost perpendicular bank by
several windings from one rock to another, and with the aid of several
Indian ladders, at length reached the surface of the water, I suppose
at least one hundred and fifty feet below the summit. The irregular
position of multitudes of huge rocks, which no doubt had tumbled from
their ancient seats, made our progress up toward the pitch, rough and
difficult. We found logs, pieces of canoes, &c. in abundance, twelve or
fifteen feet above the present level of the water-also ducks, loons,
cormorants, catfish, pickerels, and various kinds of fish and water fowl,
which had been killed by the dashing of the columns of water, tumbling off a precipice not less than one hundred and twenty feet perpendicular. The rocks and stones are mostly excellent limestone, as are
the stones in the banks for six or soven miles below; where, from every
appearance, I think it is not absurd to suppose the falls once were,
but have worn up to the present barrier, where the river makes a bend,
and the water is divided by an island; though two-thirds of it, or more,
pass on the north side of the island. I think it is not improbable, that
the lands adjoining derive considerable advantage to vegetation from