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Travels in Some Parts of North America, in the Years 1804, 1805, & 1806, by Robert Sutcliff

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is perhaps as beautiful as any; but being from a situation which is level with the river above the Falls, a considerable part of the cataract is hid from the eye. After taking a circuit of about a mile, the path leads down a steep precipice, which is descended with considerable difficulty, and not without the aid of a long ladder, placed there by a neighbouring planter, as when for his own con- veniency, as for that of strangers. Immediately below the cataract, the river is confined between two steep rocks that form a deep winding valley, through which the waters flow in their course to- wards Lake Ontario. This valley is terminated by a perpendicular rock of 53 yards in height, which runs across, forming angle pointing up the river, over which this vast body of water pre-cipitates itself with astonishing rapidity, and with a noise so tremendous that it can scarcely be de-scribed. On the top of the rock is a small island, which divides the cataract into tracts, and in such a manner that the greater part of the water pours over the rocks at the extreme head of the valley; and the rest on one side of it. A little above, opposite Chippaway, the river is two miles over; but directly above the Falls it narrows to about a mile in breadth. I was informed by Joseph Ellicot and his brother, at whose house I lodged, that they had twice measured the falls, and found them to be 158 feet in height, and about 1800 yards in width from the opposite edges of