New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-20
GRAND FALLS, LABRADOR.
gHE GREAT CATARACT ACCURATELY STUD.
led BY KENASToN AND BRYANT.
RECORDS OF IMPORTANT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
TOPOGRAPHY OF AN ALMOST UNKNOWN
RIVER-ADvENTUREs OF THE TWO
AMERICAN EXPLORERS.

St. Johns n F., Oct SIN the month Oh
August, 1889, John Mclean, an officer OF the
Hudson Bay Company, who spent twenty-five
years in their service, was on an exploring en-
petition in that great and terrible wilderness
known as Labrador. Leaving Ungava Bay an
arm of Hudson's Bay, in company with indian
guides. he took canoe route through region oil
utter sterty and deSolation and at length reached
Lake Petchikapon whence the largest river i'll
Labrador takes its rise. 1t is called the Grand or
Hamilton River and falls into the head OF Hanl[
ton Inlet after course Of about 4OO miles, fol-
lowing the stream in his canoe, he was pr0ceeuins
gayly and swiftly down this river, which no whlte
man had ever seen before, when lone evening
he saws in his journal, the roar of mighty cat
aract burst upon our ears, warning us that danger
was at hand. We soon reached the spot whcA
presented to us one of the grandest spectacles IN
the world. About six miles above the fall the
river suddenly contracts from a width OF from
400 TO 600 yards to about 100 yards; then, rush
ing along in a continuous foaming rapid, finally
contracts to a breadth of about fifty yards ere 1t
preeipitates itself over the rock which forms the
fall: when still roaring and foaming, it pursues
It's maddened course for about distance OF thirty
miles pent up between walls of rock that rise
sometimes to the height of 300 feet on either side
This stupendous fall exceeds in height the falls
of Niagara but bears no comparison TO that sub
lime object in any other respect, being nearly
hidden from the view by the abrupt angle which
the rocks form immediately beneath US. If not
seen however, it is felt such is the extraordinary
force with which it tumbles into the abyss under
meath that we felt the solid rock shake under our
feet as we stood 200 feet above the gulf a dense
cloud of vapor, which can be seen at a great dis
lance in clear weather, hangs over the spot From
the fall to the foot of the rapid-a distance OF
milo he ri
sents such sharp angles that you see nothing of it
until within few yards of its banks. Might
not this circumstance lead the geolOgist TO the
conclusion that the fall had receded this distance
The mind shrin1s from the contemplation OF a
subject that carries it back 10 period OF time so
very remote; for if the rock, syenite, always
possessed its present solidity and hardness, the
action of the water alone might require millions
of years TO produce such result"
LEFT IN SOLITUDE FOR TWENTY YEARS.
Such is the account of the Grand Falls on the
Hamilton or Grand River by Mclean the first
white man who saw them, in his Notes Of
Twenty-fve-Years Service in the Hudson Bay
Territory"-a highly interesting book, published
nearly fifty years ago and now out of print, and
believe very scarce His description is correct
and graphic, though, as we shall see, he under
estimated the height of the falls by 116 feet
carried past the falls' and beyond this huge wind
ing canon so as to launch it again and follow the
river to the sea- All in vain After struggling
for a whole day through Dogs, swamps and fallen
trees, he found the river inaccessible and at
length gave up the attempt and returned to the
post whence he started. The falls could not be
circumvented and he says with heavy hearts
and weary limbs we retraced our steps,
For twenty years after McLean's visit the
Grand Falls were left to thunder on in their soil
tude in this land of desoatiOn. No Indian would
approach them, as they have firmly believed ira
dition that no one can look upon them and live
They are said TO be the abode of evil spirits who
are fitting about under the mist-canopy that
shrouds the dreadful boiling caldron Thirty
years ago, however, Mr.. Kennedy who had
charge Of Fort Nascopee, trading port of the
Hudson BAY Company, on Lake Petohikapon re-
solved to visit the falls. He succeeded in in
ducing an Iroquois Indian who was at the fort to
act as his guide. This Indian, who is still alive,
reioiced in the name of Louis-Over-the-re and did
not share the superstitious dread of the falls
common among the Labrador Indians. Stimulated
by the white mans gold, he led the way and stood
beside the awful chasm
am not aware that any account of Kennedy's
visit has been given to the world; but the
traditions Of the Hudson Boy Company and the
living testimony Of Louis put it beyond doubt.
For thirty years more the Grand Falls were left
in their solitary grandeur amid their grim sur
roundings. No human listened 10 their deep
thunder-tOnes; no human eye marked the wild
beauty of the scene or the glories of the rain
bow playing on the great pillar of cloud" The
Indian trail which led TO Fort NascOpee on Lake
Petchikapon and came within fifty miles of the
falls, was disused as the Hudson Bay Company
4l,of
so that no ever attempted 10 ascend Grand
River. The story of the falls became dim ira
dition and was almost forgotten.
HOLMES TRIP UP THE STREAM.
At length, in 1887, Mr. Randall F. Holme.
Englishman, resolved TO penetrate
these wilds and solve the mystery
Accompanied by two men, he assembled
Grand River from its outlet 10 Hamilton Inlet, and
after hard struggle, tracking most of the way
against swift current, along rugged banks and
dragging the boat up dangerous rapids. he reached
Lake Waminikapou, it is more correctly
rendered from the Indian, Lake Wanakoobow
through which the Grand River flows After
rowing twenty miles up this lake, and reaching
as he believed, within fifty miles Of the falls
though this proved TO be underestimate of the
distance Ibis provisions became exhausted and to
his intense chagrin he was compelled to turn back,
and leave TO others the honor of redscovering
the falls. On his return TO England be read a
most interesting paper, descriptive of his Journey
before the Royal Geographical Society of Eng
land: which was printed in their monthly record
for April; 1888.
1t was, no doubt this report Of Mr.. Holme
which kinded desire in the minds of some en-
terplising Americans to complete the undertaking
in which he had failed and to lift the veil from
these mysterious falls. Curiousy enough, two
parties entirely Independent of each other started
in June last, having the same object in view
Henry Grier Bryant, young lawyer of Phila
delphia who has travelled extensively in various
countries of the Old and New World accompanied