Goat Island belongs to the State, and must be extremely valuable for hydraulic works. The general idea is that it would answer for a State Prison, being impracticable to pass from it. But this is a mistake; it can be easily reached by a canoe from above. I saw a man who had potatoes planted on it, and who visited it frequently. Stedman used to ride there on horseback. The land is very fertile. As well for its nearness to the dead carcasses below the Falls as its seclusion, eagles build their nests on this island, which is covered with wood. Last autumn, a year, a large buck-deer was seen for two or three weeks, wading a short distance into the Rapids from this island and retreating. He had probably drifted down from above, and not knowing the safe passage to the shore he no doubt perished at the Cataract. After an elegant dinner we rode to Fort Schlosser, and here M. and V.R. left us and passed over to Chippeway. Near Fort Schlosser is the old English landing, and the fort was probably made to protect it. The French landing is half a mile lower down, just at the head of the Rapids, where there are the remains of stone buildings. Fort Schlosser was surrounded by palisadoes and a ditch, and contained two wooden houses and a Block-house, some of which buildings remain. This place is a little above Chippeway, and is the termination of the portage. Near it are the remains of an old fort, supposed to be French, covering half an acre, with four bastions and a ditch. Near this place are very large ant-hills. We passed the young gentlemen to-day on their way to Lewiston and the Fort, and returned to Judge Porter's, where we slept. This place is 300 miles from Detroit, and 470 from New York; 90 miles to Presque Isle, and 190 to Pittsburgh. August 3d, Friday. We arrived at Chippeway for breakfast. The river here is two miles wide. After breakfast the Commissioners had a conference, in which they directed Mr. Geddes to take levels and distances on a variety of points, and adjourned to meet at the City Tavern, in New York, on the 28th August. [*] [*transcriber's note: original text has "July."] Chippeway is in the town of Willoughby, in the county of Lincoln. The most opulent man does not pay more than three dollars a year in taxes. Street, the Speaker of their Parliament, lives near here, and migrated from Connecticut. Chippeway is a mean village of twenty houses, three stores, two taverns, a wind-mill, and a distillery. There are also barracks here, surrounded by demolished palisadoes, in which a lieutenant's guard is stationed. Chippeway creek or river intersects the village. The race of a mill-dam here conceals a boiling-spring, which will boll a tea-kettle. Two or three miles back of Queenstown there are two springs a few yards from each other - one impregnated with sulphur, and the other with vitriolic acid. On Lake Erie there are petrifying waters which run into it, at which you can see petrified substances distinctly marked by the feet of Indians. One Stevens keeps a tolerable inn here. Jackson and Morris had a contest in this house for rooms. The former sent out an avant courier, who engaged a room with two beds. Morris followed, and after reconnoitering both taverns, took a room to the rear of Jackson's, to which he could not go without passing through Jackson's. When the parties met, Jackson and his wife remonstrated against the arrangement. The former was insolent to Morris who, however, soon induced the Briton to take refuge in the adjacent house. Jackson has been received with distinguished attention in Canada. The ball at Niagara was attended by forty girls, collected from the town and the whole adjacent country, and arrayed in various fashions. Jackson appeared in his diplomatic suit, and was received by a band of music playing "God save the King." His lady was complimented in a similar way, and by the rising of all the company. She told a gentleman that she was well accommodated here; that there was no Mr. M. here to oust them of their rooms. Having seen the Cataract from the American side, we took this opportunity of viewing it from the opposite side, and we proceeded to Table Rock, from whence we had a fair view. The spray of the waters enveloped us with a mist as penetrating as rain. The clouds of vapor generated here must have a considerable agency in producing the frequent showers which are experienced in this country. I could not but observe the number of taverns in Canada and the western country, which contained emblems of Free Masonry on their signs. Near Chippeway, a house had a sign marked small-Pox, to apprise people of the disease. One of the hands who rowed us over the river here is named Cowan. Although seventy years old, he can now make two pair of shoes a day; for each pair he charges four shillings. He has had two wives; seven children by one and fourteen by another, of whom fifteen are girls, We returned and slept at Judge Porter's, where we also dined. (The above was published in the March 2004 edition of "Fortress Niagara," the Newsletter-Journal of the Old Fort Niagara Association, editor Harry M. DeBan, pgs. 9-14. Permission to post it has been granted. To view the entire journal on line go to http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/campbell/Chap06.html. )