Rupert, Steamer 125
Russell, Governor 85
S.
Sackett's Harbour 18
Sailing Era Closed 16
Salter, Rev. G. 172
Sault Canal 48
Scott, General Winfield 15
Second Canoe Route to Upper Lakes 11
Seneca, Warship 13
Shickluna, Steamer 49
Shipbuilding at Niagara 30-38
Simcoe, Sloop 14
Simcoe, Lieut.-Gov. 84, 85
Sinclair, Capt. James 30
Six Nation Indians 152
Smith, Hon. Frank, afterward Sir 61, 78, 92, 109, 183
Smyth, Charles 18, 20
Solmes, W. H., Capt. 67
Sorel 78
Southern Belle, Steamer 43, 59
Speedy, Schooner 14
St. Clair Lake 10, 11
St. Louis 11
St. Nicholas, Steamer 42
St. Catharines 32, 60, 71
St. Catharines & Toronto Line 126
Stages to Lewiston 25, 171
19
Steamboating Era Begins 17
Stoney Point 29
Sutherland, Capt. J. 37
Sullivan, J. M. 197
Sydenham, Lord, Gov.-Genl. 33
T.
Teabout & Chapman 18, 25
Tea in Canada 144
The Old Portage 168
Through the Last Lock 74, 76
Thunder Bay 47
Tillingharst, Mr. 92
Tinning's Wharf 43
Toronto, Schooner 14
Toronto citizens given to water sports 114
Toronto Field Battery 119
Tour, Lord Dufferin 53
Towed Across Lake Erie 66, 77
Transfer Coaches at Lewiston 146
Transit, Steamer 30, 34
Traveller, Steamer 30
Trickett, Edward 114
Troyes, Pierre de 82
Turbinia, Steamer Competes 190
Twohey, Capt. H. 36
U.
Underwood, Mr. 177
United Kingdom, Steamer 29
20
United States, Steamer 30
V.
Van Cleve, Capt. 20, 21, 28, 29, 146
Vancouver 30
Vanderbilt, Commodore 127
Victoria, Steamer 31
Vrooman's Bay 105
W.
Wabash District 99
[Pg xvi]Washago, Laying Corner Stone 53-54
Wauhuno Channel 56
Waubuno, Steamer 56, 57
Weather Bureau, United States 65
Weekes, E. J. 176
Welland Canal 58, 60, 68
Western Railroad 41
West Niagara 84
Whalen, J., Foreman 145
Where the Falls Once Were 181
Whiskey in Scotland 144
White, W. 136
Whitehead, M. F. 15
Whitney, Capt. Joseph 29
William IV., Steamer 30, 31
Wilson, Joseph 49
Winter Mail Services 34, 39, 40, 42
Wolseley Expedition 47
American Obstacles to 50
21
Wolseley, Col. Garnet 50
Names Prince Arthur's Landing 51
Woodward, M. D. 60
Wyatt, Capt. Thomas 88
Y.
York, Schooner 13
York 37, 85
Youngstown 28, 29, 135
Z.
Zimmerman, Steamer 38
Queenstown. The NIAGARA RIVER from Queenston Heights. (page 169) Lewiston.
[Pg 9]
A CENTURY OF SAIL AND STEAM ON THE NIAGARA RIVER CHAPTER I.
The First Eras of Canoe and Sail.
Since ever the changes of season have come, when grasses grow green, and open waters flow, the courses of the Niagara River, above and below the great Falls, have been the central route, for voyaging between the far inland countries on this continent, and the waters of the Atlantic shores.
Here the Indian of prehistoric days, unmolested by the intruding white, roamed at will in migration from one of his hunting-grounds to another, making his portage and passing in his canoe between Lake Erie and Lake Oskwego (Ontario). In later days, when the French had established themselves at Quebec and Montreal, access to Lake Huron and the upper lakes was at first sought
by their voyageurs along the nearer route of the Ottawa and French Rivers, a route involving many difficulties in surmounting rapids, heavy labour on numberless portages, and exceeding delay. Information had filtered down gradually through Indian sources of the existence of this Niagara River Route, on which there was but one portage of but fourteen miles to be passed from lake to lake, and only nine miles if the canoes entered the water again at the little river (Chippawa) above the Falls.
On learning the fact the French turned their attention to this new waterway, but for many a weary decade were[Pg 10] unable to establish themselves upon it. In 1678 Father Hennepin, with an expedition sent out by Sieur La Salle sailed from Cataraqui (Kingston) to the Niagara River, the name "Hennepin Rock" having come down in tradition as a reminiscence of their first landing below what is now Queenston Heights. Passing over the "Carrying Place," they reached Lake Erie. Here, at the outlet of the Cayuga Creek, on the south shore, they built a small two-masted vessel rigged with equipment which they brought up for the purpose from Cataraqui, in the following year.
This vessel, launched in 1679, and named the "Griffon" in recognition of the crest on the coat of arms of Count Frontenac, the Governor of Canada, was the first vessel built by Europeans to sail upon the upper waters. In size she so much exceeded that of any of their own craft, with her white sails billowing like an apparition, and of novel and unusual appearance, that intensest excitement was created among the Indian tribes as she passed along their shores.
Her life was brief, and the history of her movements scanty; the report being that after sailing through Lake St. Clair she reached Michilimakinac and Green Bay, on Lake Michigan, but passed out of sight on Lake Huron on the return journey, and was never heard of afterwards.
Tiny though this vessel was and sailing slow upon the Upper Lakes, yet a great epoch had been opened up, for she was the progeni-
22
tor of all the myriad ships which ply upon these waters at the present day. It was the entrance of the white man, with his consuming trade energy, into the red man's realm, the death knell of the Indian race.