The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-14
HEFIRSTATNIAGAR
CAN You NAME THE WHITE MAN
WHO FIRST VISITED THE FALLS.
The Light Tha Early writings Throw
Upon This Objectionable May Have
Been stephen Brule.


and portage" where the falls are located.
He got his information entirely from the
Indians. The first man who tried to indi-
cate the location was Champlain. In his
map OF 1912 he referred TO the falls. as
'sault d'eau."
Possibly Stephen Brule saw the falls first.
He was an interesting character. We really
wish we knew more about him He crossed
the ocean and arrived in New France
about 1910. He was a great explorer. He
was one OF the first who went TO the
Hurons. On Sept. s. 1915. when Champlain
was preparing his expedition against the
Onondagas. Brule set out with twelve
Hurons from upper Canada to visit the
towns of the Carantouannais, Huron allies,
who lived on the susquehanns- We are not
sure of Brule's route. Possibly he went up
the Genesee river. Possibly he was the
first white man who saw our falls. If he
saw them, it is not likely that
he stopped to admire them. He
wasn't journeying through this region TO
enjoy the scenery. Brule meant business.
He was looking for volunteers TO assist
champlain in his bloody work. He had a
little fight with the Iroquois, but came out
ahead. After that he had no trouble. At
least not then. He entered the village of
Carantouan in style. That village was near
what is now Waverly. There were eight
hundred warriors there, unless Brule count
ed badly. He got the volunteers, but they
marched too slowly. They were too late.
So BrlIe marched them home again. BruIe
passed the winter among them. He did a
little exploring Among other things ne
descended the Susquehanna river. If any
white mar had done that before we would
Ike to know mis- name and all about him.
When the spring cane Brule turned his
face nOrtnWal1. tie was as anxiOuc 70
get out of the country in 1916 as he had
been to get into it. in 1615. He had a lively
tried several bluffs, but the first OF these
didn't work, and the Iroquois began to
torture him They pulled out some OF his
they began to burn him on different parts
of his bOdy-the tenderest parts preferred.
BruIe was not enjoying himself. He re-
sorted to the blufflng tactics again-this
time more successfully. Casting his eyes
upward he saw a storm coming, and i'm
mediately threatened the Indians with the
vengeance or heaven. When the thunder
storm broke the Indians weakened. Brule
was released and got out of the country
as soon as he could. He journeyed north
west, through the lands OF the Neuter
nation, and reached the Hurons. The
lands of the Neuters were pleasant, and
Brule told the missionaries about them.
Then he journeyed eastward. In 1913 he
shook hands again With Cnamplain and
made a report.
BRULES TRAVELS.
III JS0tAiCl ihS tiIOuku WHAT Is HOW VEST
ern New York on his way to the Caran-
~touannais or in Journeying through the
lands of the Neuters on his way to the
Hurons. or when he was returning from
the Huron villages, Brule might have seen
Niagara fails. 1t is very probable that he
heard about them as he gossiped with
the Indians around the camp fires at night,
and If his curiosity. which was
particularly lively. had been
aroused, Brule would nave had a
look al them. Time was no object with
map. 1t showed that his knowledge of the
great lakes had increased wonderfully.
Perhaps Brute had given him some valuable
Abusiness-a mpkiR indicated the location
OF NIaSara fsl,s and described them as
Louis; descending which various sorts of
fishes become dizzy" We wonder if Brule
told him about the dizzy fish. We cannot
Diane Champlain for writing down what
Brule said. He didn't suppose Brule would
lie about a little thing like that.
IL Brule neither saw Niagara falls mol
talked about them, as he related his ad-
ventures to the worthy Jesuits among the
Huron villages. he certainly gave some
lively accounts of the Neuter nation. He
aroused their curiosity. at all events. fol
one OF the fathers, Joseph de la Roche Dial.
lion. determined to visit the Neuters, OF
missions on the 18th OF October, 1926, and hi
was among the Neuters all winter. He was
very anxious to make geographical discov-
cries He had heard of what we call the
Niagara river. and he was anxious to SEE
It One of the Canadian historians tells us
If he saw the falls. he would have beer
the first white man Who ever gazed upon
the great cataract" But We feel very sur.
that Father Dalton did not see the falls
We have read the Interesting letter TO n
friend in France wherein he describes n.
journey. We find mention of the stays, TIA
moose. the beaver, the wildcats and 9TH,
great quantity of wild geese, turkeys
cranes and other animals" that were il
-srear '~aernaance. in 1.-The incompatible,
beautiful country" OF the Neuter nation
guess Father Danlon didn't see them.
In chronological >srder we find next San
Paris in ISL. ,The fsfis Of Niagara appsai
on this map. but there is no evidence tina
che sa map nI sISS had ads se ,bsm them either 7, il :,
be regretted, for we may be sure he woull
have described them lin an accurate anC
interesting way. He did very well as i
was. He was pretty close to the falls il
1669. He heard the sound of the falling
water. Galinee talked with the Indian
about the cataract and what he said Il
his journal was remarkably near the truth
Except for the brief words by chamPlail
description OF the falls:
CHAMPLAINS DESCRIPTION.
w found a river one-eighth of a leagu
broad and extremely rapid, forming tn
outlet or communication from lake Erie I
lake Ontario. The depth of the river 80
IL is properly the 81. Lawrence) is at thi
place extraordinary for, on sounding clos
10 the shore, we found fifteen or sixtee
iathoms OF water. The outlet Is fort
leagues long and has. from ten to twelv
leagues above its embouchure into lax
Ontario. one OF the finest cataracts G
falls OF water in the world. for all tn
Indians OF whom / have inquired about
say that the river falls at that place fror
a rock higher than the tallest ~pines-that ii
ABOUT two hundred feet. In fact, we hear
az from the place where We wer'
although from ten to, twelve League
distant. but the fall gives sue
prevented our ascending the current b
rowing. except with great difficulty. At
quarter OF a league from the outlet whel
we were IL grows narrower and its chann
IS confined between two very high, steel
rocky banks. inducing the belief that II
navigation would be very difficult quite u
20 the cataract. AS to the river above tf
falls. the current very often sucks in,
this gulf from "A great distance deer an
Etags. elk and roebucks. that suffer then
selves TO be drawn from such a point
crossing the river. anc that they are con
PEELED 10 descend the falls and TO be owe
whelmed in its frightful abyss.
Our desire to reach the little villas
called GanaStOgue Sonentoua O-tin-a-ou.
ta-oua. prevented our going to view tn,
wonder. which i consider as so much IL
greater in proportion as the river St. Law
renee Is one OF the largest in the world.
viii leave you TO judge IL that IS not a iii
cataract in which all the water of tn,
broad, falls from a height Of two hundr.
feet. with "A noise thar IL heard not only