At two o'clock I went to the Episcopal Methodist chapel and heard one of the travelling preachers. Lordsday 21st. About sun-rise I went to the same chapel to a prayer meeting,-that city afforded five men and two women,-at a quarterly meeting time too! what could all the crossbearers be doing? 22nd. On going to the Hotel, I found the Boat on the Canal before the door, preparing to start; and I was by a kind Providence brought there just in time to rest the Sabbath, and to go by the first boat for the season, for I was very desirous of getting to England as early as might be. By having had some geographical knowledge of the country, I took my passage only to the village of Tonawanta eleven miles on, where the road turns off to the Niagara Falls. As I had not seen that famous wonder in nature, I was not willing to pass so near, and miss the opportunity of seeing it, especially having been informed that another boat was to follow the next morning. Three miles from Buffalo we passed a village called Blackrock, notable on account of the Ferry which is only about a mile across into Canada: there the waters or outlet of Lake Erie flow into the Canal. At that time the broken ice swimming down from the Lake, had choaked the Canal. Our boat was pretty well laden, having on board 38 men, 9 women, and the stewardess. We drove four horses, but they could not get through the ice. Most of the men leaped ashore; this lightened the boat, but still the horses could not get on. Then we had a long rope, and being well supplied with men, formed a train, and a long train it was, and all determined to proceed rather than return to Buffalo, especially as the distance through the ice was short; so the men all got ready, fastened the rope to the boat, every man standing in his place, one and all determined to cut through if possible, When all were ready, the two drivers moved on the horses, tried their strength, and the men their's, and on we moved a little, the murmuring frost yielding and crackling as we went on; at last the rope broke, and down went a heap of men all together, but none *fell into the Canal; if any one had, he would have found it a cold place. A kind providence preserved us, that not one was hurt among so many, nor were any discouraraged, (some had a little merriment) they again tied the rope, and men and horses laid to it in earnest, and snap went the rope the second time,-not discouraged yet, they found another rope, and fastened two ropes, forming two trains of men; the two ropes held, and by the blessing of a kind Providence (on a determined pull) we at last got through. Before we got to Tonawanta, a gentleman on board having a fowling-piece in his hand on deck, wantonly took aim at a wild duck, which with another apparently its mate, was innocently swimming on the river or outlet of the lake, and apparently broke one wing of the little creature. The other flew away, but this lay tossing and fluttering on the water. Some began to laugh, saying it was wounded, as if pleased with the man's dexterity. I was grieved, and thought it my duty to reprove that as well as other sins, observing that it did good to no one, but it hurt an innocent creature, that God gave us the ceatures for our use, and when we needed them, we ought to put them to death in the easiest way. On hearing this, one or two who at first appeared to be gratified by seeing the struggles of the harmless sufferer, looked grave and said, "That is true Elder." Another gentlemen replied, "Then you do not believe with Pope, that partial evil is universal good." This produced an exchange of argument too long here to relate in discourse he had said he believed that God ordained all things. Drawing near Tonawanta, where we should part, it seemed time to bring our discussion to a close our congregation were listening attentively, and 1 distinctly put the question, "Do you believe that God ordains every thing?" He said that he did. Then God hath ordained you to believe as you do, and ordained me to believe as I do; one to believe right, and the other to believe wrong. He was quite at a stand,- --some expressed their approval of the remark, and justness of the inference. The gentleman said, "Let it pass over." 1 replied no, let us make good as we go. I then proceeded, -God must have made man either a free agent or a mere machine. If a mere machine, he could be neither capable of virtue or vice, for there is neither virtue nor vice in a : grind-stone by being turned round, nor in a windmil for being turned with the wind in such case man could not be accountable for his conduct; but he being made a free agent, it is his glory and the glory of God who hath so made him. He declined having any thing more to say on the subject. On some applauding the mode of reasoning, I replied, that it was not me, but truth that gained the argument. The gentleman evinced proofs of a good education, not only by his command of language and knowledge of authors, but also in temper, over which he possessed great command. On parting at Tonawanta, we cordially shook hands, he saying that he had hoped we should have gone all the way together. One of our company was a young man from Europe, Samuel Bell, who had been at a College in Ohio: finding I was going to the falls, he took out his luggage also, and went with me. He was a Presbyterian, but his language was, "Where thou goest I will go." I found the handful of seed sown on the deck of the boat, was not all lost; surely it is right to take up the cross always, and drop a word for God whenever occasion serves. Though we left Buffalo twenty-five minutes after nine, we did not reach Tonawanta till ten minutes after two. I was much pleased in having a companion; and especially such a pleasant one. We set out on foot immediately, and arrived about five: eleven miles on a delightful road, and nearly level. About four miles before we came to the Falls, we saw the vapour rising among the tall trees; but we heard very little of the noise till within two or three miles.* The weather was calm, and sky clear; except a little cloud in the west; this was highly favourable to our journey, except the cloud in the west preventing our proving the saying concerning the rainbow. On the States side of the water is a village called Manchester, where there is a bridge to the Island, called GoatIsland. On the Canada side is a naked hill. The falls * Some have reported that the noise of the Falls can be heard fourteen miles. I cannot imagine under what circumstances, this must be. The weather was fine, and little wind when we were there, and consequently, a favourable atmosphere for conveying sound. |