A NIAGARA FALLS TOURIST

OF THE YEAR 1817.

BEING THE JOURNAL OF

CAPTAIN RICHARD LANGSLOW

OF THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA SERVICE.*

Left New London, Connecticut, at 8 p. m., Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1817. A shameful detention at night at New Haven as Capt. Bunker of the Connecticut determined to wait till morning for passengers from Commencement. (Yale College.)

Sept. II. Penned a letter for insertion in the New York Evening Post on the above misconduct. Reached New York at 6 p. m., saw Messrs. Winthrup & McCormick. I went to the play "Bunker Hill" and "Robinson Crusoe." A most wretched performance, the theater good, tolerably filled; Barnes the only tolerable actor, I recollect him and his wife on the Plymouth Boards.

Friday, Sept. 12. At Gibson Hotel where I sleep the thermometer in my close bed-room is 85 degrees. Dined

* The original journal copied by his son, Henry A. Langslow of Rochester, N. Y., in 1896, at the suggestion of Erastus Darrow; read at a meeting of the Rochester Historical Society, April, 1896; copy presented to the Buffalo Historical Society by the Rochester Historical Society, George May Elwood, president. Now first published.

with Mr. McCormick and went in the evening to West's Equestrian Expedition; tolerably entertaining.

Saturday, Sept. 13. Saw yesterday the American Museum and spoke to Mr. Skudder about Capt. Wilson's electric eel. Finding there is no chance of my having Mr. Featherstonehough for a companion in the steam-boat on Tuesday, suddenly resolved to prosecute my route this afternoon and at 5 p. m. repair on board the Richmond steamship from Jas. Winthrup's where I dined. The boat well regulated. Left a line for Capt. Douglass at West Point. Mr. & Mrs. Livingston passengers. At Poughkeepsie the scenery beautiful on each side. In spite of the deprivation of light distinguished the high hills of Neversink, at one time approximating the river close at each side sufficiently to form an idea of the romantic view they present by daylight; slept well and comfortably, but somewhat ailing.

Sunday, Sept. 14. A pleasant change in the weather, a little rain and the air cool and bracing. Mr. Raynaud of Schenectady a passenger, a refugee from St. Domingo in 1794; had suffered much. He is an acquaintance of Mr. Featherstonehaugh's. At half past 4 landed at Albany, called on Mr. Chas. Smith to whom I delivered Mr. Buchanan's (vice consul's) letter. He assisted me with advice and information and saw me off at 6 in a two-horse stage for Schenectady which was reached before 9. Got tea, etc., and went to bed. Albany is pretty, the State Street fine and the views in the neighborhood interesting, the road to Schenectady rough. Left this place before 6 a. m. and crossed a fine bridge to the north side of the Mohawk, in the Albany stage for Utica, more of a wagon than a coach; fare $6.00. Changed at Amsterdam, 15 miles; a poor place, an excellent mill-stream; town improving; Johnstown or Canawauga, 5 miles. The church was built by Sir Wm. Johnson who with Sir John Johnson is held in detestation by the Americans for ravages committed on this and other towns by the Tories and Canadian Indians between 1772 & 1780. Two miles before we came to Johnstown is Tribe's Hill, from whence is an extensive and very beautiful prospect. The turnpike runs all the way to Utica on the north

side of the river. Reached Canajoharie to dinner between 12 & 1; 15 miles from Johnstown and 49 north-west from Albany. Dined comfortably for half a dollar. Started again at half past one, raining fast, consequently I was prevented seeing as much as I could wish of this interesting scenery, the river in sight most of the way, but very shallow; a few islands. I saw no boats passing. Village of Palastine [Palatine] 6 miles from Canajoharie, a small place. Little Falls 20 miles from Palastine & 74 from Albany, beautiful in the extreme, the falls pretty and the road over and between rocks truly romantic. There are several locks here by which the boats proceed round the falls. All very interesting and well worth seeing. The pleasing and elegant village of Herkimer 7 miles from Little Falls and 78 from Albany, I was delighted with. We changed horses at 6 here but I could not see much of it as the rain continued. Passed over the bridge and reached Utica on the south side of the Mohawk at 1⁄2 past 8; a good inn Baggs'. Much fatigued and sore from the violent jolting; as the stages go on at 3 a. m. I deem it prudent to halt till the following morning, my late complaint having returned.

Utica, Sept. 16. Employed writing my journal. Dispatched a long letter to N. London written chiefly on the steamboat on Sunday. Went to a Doctor Wolcott's and got some T. theban; he had no T. cinnamon; took a large dose. My watch inspected by a watchmaker, find the hands were loose, done by the motion of the stage. Went to the Union Bank and got cash for $20.00 in bills to avoid taking small bills on my route; also got two pieces of gold changed for $II 34. Walked round the town which is prettily built, rather extensive, no remains of old Fort Schuyler. Whitesborough, distance 4 miles, and Rome 12 miles; no particular object worth noticing. Three Scots gents from Boston returning from the Falls, very pleasant. Messrs. Wood and Seaman gone on to Geneva, the former left a handkerchief with English letters. I take it on for him. Obtained great information from Mr. Seaman, he lived generally at Washington Hall, N. Y. Find a portion of the mercury in the

thermometer shaken up to 180 degrees, obliged to use boiling water to reunite the lower part to the upper. My telescope also much disordered and a little broken, all by the astonishing violence of the motion of the stage on the rough roads. Inspected the boats used on the Mohawk. They answer Schultz's* description. Determine to take the Buffalo Road. It is nearer by 25 miles than the Ridge Road to Lewiston and Fort Niagara. The Steamboat ceased to run farther than the Genesee River from Sackett's Harbor on the 5th inst, so abandon all thoughts of navigating Lake Ontario as the weather is unpromising and there is no public conveyance to Oswego.

Wednesday, Sept. 17. Called up at 2 and started in the stage at 3 a. m. Near day-break when we reached the village of New Hartford four or five miles from Utica and soon after by violent jolts the leather strap supporting the carriage on one of the fore-springs gave way and nearly upset us. Delayed some time in fixing a long thick spar lengthways under the carriage to support it, and now having lost the little vibration of the spring we are worse off than ever. Clinton College in sight; 2 miles on the left

Travels on an Inland Voyage through the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. performed in the years 1807 and 1808.

by Christian Schultz, Jun. Esq. Two vols., New York, 1810. The best record of travel and observation in America, for the period named. Schultz visited Buffalo, Niagara Falls, etc., in August, 1807, and made full and graphic record of what he saw. In 1809 James Fenimore Cooper was on the Niagara, but we have no detailed narrative of his sojourn. From 1812 to 1815 the war put a stop to tourist travel into the region. In 1815 the procession was continued by Levi Beardsley, whose Reminiscences, etc. (New York, 1852), give many valuable glimpses of local conditions in the year named. The next year came David Thomas, whose Travels through the Western Country in the Summer of 1816 (Auburn, N. Y., 1819), contains some account of the new Buffalo, but not of Niagara Falls. These and the valueless Travels in North America of "George Phillips" (Dublin, 1822), bring us to the time of Capt. Langslow's visit. The year 1817 marked the beginning of a new era of tourist travel to the Niagara. Of visitors to the region in that year, who recorded their impressions in books, were E. Montule (A Voyage to North America, and the West Indies, in 1817, London, 1821), Joseph Sansom (Sketches, etc., New York, 1817), Frederick Tolfrey (The Sportsman in Canada, 2 vols., London, 1845), and President James Monroe, whose Tour, recorded by S. Putnam Waldo (Hartford, 1818), had brought the distinguished tourist to Buffalo and the Niagara in August, less than a month before Capt. Langslow. Of books describing the region at that time, and for some years to come, Schultz's work was by all odds the best.

and near to it is Paris. Manchester is 81⁄2 miles and Vernon 17 miles from Utica, which we did not reach to breakfast until 9 o'clock owing to our accident. Four or five miles farther enter Oneida Castle, a straggling Indian village, extends two or three miles up a very steep hill, the gents obliged to walk up it, saw several Indians, complection lighter than I expected, their dress curious; many with English hats, their hair long, black and straight.

Lenox, a long scattered town 12 miles from Vernon. Sullivan two miles distant on the left; immense woody tracts on each hand, down even to the edges of the road; hills in all directions covered with trees. Romantic scenery, road very bad. Passed Canaseraga and soon after reached the village of Chittinango and changed horses; a steep rise of three miles from the town, on the top a fine fresh spring, a few yards from Clark's Inn. We visited it and tasted the. pure element; weather warm; a fine view of Oneida Lake from the heights; it appears about 5 miles distant, stretching to the north. Passed through Manlius, formerly Sinai, and Jamesville, two new villages about 5 miles apart, between 4 & 5;, at the entrance of the latter on the hill whence you descend to the village is a tasty house and very beautiful garden lately occupied by a Mr. Sanford, an enviable residence. At 6 p. m. to dinner Onondaga Hollow, only 50 miles from Utica. At the entrance of it is a very handsome stone house of Judge Foreman; soon dispatch our meal and walk up the steep out of town; very hilly and woody; the evening closing in, adieu to the prospect; with the darkness came rain. At Marcellus, 10 from Onondaga and 6 from Skeneatles, left some passengers, hence to our lodgings, it poured torrents. I have been unwell all the afternoon, in spite of laudanum; obliged to make up my mind to halt at Skeneatles for the next day; we did not reach it till past II o'clock, 4 hours later than customary. Find myself incapacitated for proceeding by the morning's stage.

Thursday, Sept. 18. At Skeneatles. A little relieved by a good night's rest, take laudanum frequently.

The Inn (kept by Mr. Sherwood) and is no great thing, is within ten yards of the lake, a pretty view and was I well