Navy Hall and Niagara Falls

“A clear cold day, made little way, a head wind. I saw the spray of the Falls of Niagara rising like a cloud. It is 40 miles distant.”

- July 25, 1792

“I descended an exceedingly steep hill to get to the Table Rock, from whence the view of the Falls is tremendously fine. Men sometimes descend the rocks below this projecting point, but it is attended with great difficulty and perhaps little picturesque advantage.

“The prodigious spray which arises from the foam at the bottom of the falls adds grandeur to the scene, which is wonderfully fine, and after the eye becomes more familiar with the objects I think the pleasure will be greater in dwelling on them.”

- August 3, 1792

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“People cross from Chippawa to Fort Schlosser (an earthwork fort on the American shore, about a mile and a half above the Falls), but great caution is necessary, the current is so extremely strong and if they did not make exactly the mouth of the Chippawa the force of the water below it would inevitably carry them down the Falls without redress. Eight soldiers, who were intoxicated, met with this accident in crossing the river some years since. Their bodies were taken up entire some distance below the Falls. An Indian was in his canoe near Fort Schlosser. The canoe was tied to a tree; some person cut the rope; he did not wake until the canoe had gotten into the strong current. He found all his endeavours to paddle ineffectual and was seen to lay himself down, resigning himself to his fate, and was soon carried down the falls.”

- July 30th, 1792

“The whole winter has been like an exceedingly fine, dry autumn in England; the climate is delightful and the country plentiful, and a pleasant society within a certain circle; in short, we have nothing to complain of but not seeing the children and the absence of some friends.”

- Navy Hall, February 1793