A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River Part 15

Ponce-de-Leon had visited the sh.o.r.es of Florida, but it was not until 1539 that Hermando-de-Soto, heading an expedition from the Island, established the first permanent occupation upon the mainland for the Spanish nation.

A settlement was formed and a fortress built at Ste. Augustine. Spanish influence thereafter gradually extended around the northern sh.o.r.es of the Gulf of Mexico toward the Mississippi and inland through the intervening Indian country which was then called the _Chicora Country_--"_The land of pretty flowers_."

Beyond this and on the other side of the far sh.o.r.es of the Mississippi lay the widespread grazing territories where the Spanish adventurers conceived would be opportunity for further exploits.

Somewhere about the year 1580 a coterie of these venturesome ones carried over with them to Spain a party of the native Indians including among them the princ.i.p.al Chief of the Chicora Indians, the occupants of the country between Florida and the river. These they presented at their sovereign's court as visible evidences of their travellings and enterprises.

In those early days of discovery on this Western hemisphere, and for long years afterwards, it is noticeable in how lordly a manner the Sovereigns and Magnates of Europe parcelled out the new found territories, making wholesale grants of land to their own followers with or out the leave of the original Indian occupants. In this case the representative Chief was present. The King created him "Don Francisco de Chicora," and a grant was confirmed to his introducers of all the country lying adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, on the far side of the Mississippi.

Returning with this authority the Spaniards extended their enterprises to their new opportunities. As they advanced westward they found on the terraces of the great plains, and on the foothills of the mountain ranges, the countless "Cibolos," or Buffalo, ranging in mighty bands over the nature pastures.

It was in consequence of this that when giving a name to the new Province which was being added to their previous domain, they named it "_Cibola_,"

"the Buffalo coun_try_." This name is still preserved by a ranching hamlet in a part of that territory now in the State of Texas.

As another steamer was to be added in partners.h.i.+p with _Chicora_ "the pretty flower," what more appropriate name could we give to her than that of "Cibola," "the Buffalo," in reminiscence of the old time territorial expansion.

So _Cibola_ it was to be. There was also a further propriety in the selection that this "Buffalo boat" was to be one of the line of steamers which were to form the greatly improved connection between Toronto, and the great and modern city of Buffalo.

On 1st of November the steamer was successfully launched in the presence of a large party brought down by special train from Toronto, the name _Cibola_ being given, and the traditional bottle of champagne smas.h.i.+ngly broken on the bow, by Miss Constance c.u.mberland, the youngest sister of the Vice-President, and who subsequently married Mr. A. Foy, a brother of the Manager.

The firms engaged on the construction were:--Designer, Robert Morton, Glasgow; steel hull, Dalzell Co., Dalzell, Scotland; erection of hull, W.

White & Co., Montreal; marine engines, Rankin Blackmore & Co., Greenock; wood-work, Rathbun Co., Deseronto; interior mahogany and decoration, Wm.

Wright & Co., Detroit; electric lighting, Edison Co., New York.

The _Chicora_ season of 1887 had been exceedingly active. The opening of the New York Central to the bank of the river largely increased the facilities and the movement of traffic.

The steamer _Hastings_ was chartered to make the early trips from Niagara and late from Toronto, and to carry the increasing fruit business. We had acquired the rights of the International Ferry between Queenston and Lewiston and chartered the small steamer _Kathleen_ to perform the service and to transfer pa.s.sengers to the main line steamers.

A new excursion feature in connection with the extension of their line was introduced by the New York Central by "shuttle trains" with _observation cars_ run frequently between the Falls and Lewiston. These cars were open on the side next the river and the pa.s.senger seats set length-wise, facing the view, were raised in tiers one above the other, securing an unimpeded view of the scenery of the wonderful rapids and Niagara Gorge.

The Kathleen ran in connection with these trains, giving the tourists the full length of the Lower River to Niagara and also calling at Youngstown for the Fort and Town pa.s.sengers.

Business at Queenston, where we had improved the dock, was much increased, due to our working up the excursions which were rendered more attractive by the great improvements made by the Queen Victoria Niagara Park Commissioners in the park upon the Queenston Heights and around Brock's Monument.

An excellent season closed without further incident.

During the winter of 1887-88 the cabin work had proceeded a.s.siduously on _Cibola_. During this period we came much into personal contact with Mr. E.

W. Rathbun, the head of the Rathbun Co., and, one might say, the physical embodiment of Deseronto and of everything within its borders. In the prime of life, genial, incisive, he was the focus centre of vibrant energies.

It seemed to be his ambition that no by-product in his enterprises should escape undeveloped.

He was interested in every public and benevolent project in the vicinity and although not himself entering into parliamentary duties, his opinion was much sought and valued in political development. With intense devotion to his work, and much continuous strain on his energies it was not to be wondered that his years were not many.

At length the spring of 1888 had come. The work was well advanced but, as usual, the carpenters and painters lingered on in possession.

_Chicora_ had opened the season and it was absolutely necessary that _Cibola_ should be on hand to take part in moving the troops to Niagara Camp on 10th June.

The only thing to do was to bring the whole working force away with the steamer. Capt. McCorquodale was in command, Capt. McGiffin having been appointed to the _Chicora_.

A small party of friends had come down for the trip up, among them Alderman John Baxter, of Toronto a genial soul, whose girth was not far from equalling his height, he was the very embodiment of merriment and was a most excellent singer. As the most elderly member we dubbed him The Chaplain, although perhaps he was not the most sedate. Mr. Ross Hayter, a Tea Planter cousin, lately Come from a.s.sam, and who was the first to introduce Indian package tea to Canada, was installed as the Doctor, and Mr. Gus Foy, brother of Mr. John Foy, ably acted as Steward.

We left in the morning with the decks enc.u.mbered by every description of material for all trades.

As each rounded point, and changing turn of this island-studded channel came in view one could not but recall that along these waters once came from Montreal, and Cataraqui, the fleet of canoes carrying the families of the Six Nations Indians to the new homes, which had been given them by the British Government, to replace those in the State of New York, which they had lost by their loyal adherence to the King's cause during the War of the Revolution. One party under Chief Deseronto had determined to stop at a reservation which had been selected on the sh.o.r.es of the Bay of Quinte.

Before leaving _Cataraqui_, the communion service which had been given to their ancestors by Queen Anne in 1712, for their chapel in the Mohawk Valley in the Colony of New York, had been divided between the bands, the larger share being given to the more numerous party under Chief Brant, which separating from their Deseronto companions went onward up Lake Ontario to their reservation upon the banks of the Grand River.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The CHIPPEWA in Toronto Harbour. page 174]

These reservations are still occupied by their descendants, who are ardent militia men, serving with intense activity in the Indian companies of the 37th Haldimand Rifles, one of the most efficient in the Canadian Militia.

All Canadians, should remember that these quiet featured men are the lineal descendants of those steadfast ancestors, who gave up their homes and all for the British cause, and were the first United Empire Loyalists to come to Canada.

Later after 1783, other migrations came up these inner channels.

These were the United Empire Loyalists, descendants of the British pioneers and settlers who had founded the English colonies in America, but who having fought on the King's side in the Revolution were driven out of their homes and their property confiscated, but who chose, rather than foreswear their allegiance, to come north into the forests of Canada where they could live beneath the British flag under which they and their fathers had been born.

It was a meeting, too, with the first steamboat ventures of Upper Canada, for on "Finkle's Point," which we pa.s.sed, the _Frontenac_, the first steamer to sail on Lake Ontario, had been built in 1815.

_Chicora_ and _Cibola_ together carried the troops to camp and performed the services of the route for 1888. The leaving times from Toronto were 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4.45 p.m., the _Chicora_ taking the morning trip from Lewiston.

This was a very considerable increase, being in fact a doubling of the previous service, and although the traffic did not at first justify it, the trade soon began to show signs of building up, the new steamer proving herself a valuable addition by her higher speed, larger capacity for pa.s.sengers and with running expenses practically the same.

The arrangements for the militia at the camp at Niagara in these early days were in the charge of Lt.-Col. Robert Denison, one of the Denison family, who have taken so large a part in the military annals of the country, and an uncle of Lt.-Col. George T. Denison.

Col. "Bob" as he was most frequently called, was the Brigade Major for the Western District with his headquarters in the "_Old Fort_" at Toronto in the original "Officers Quarters" building which had been military headquarters for the Province since 1813. This old building is still in existence and is to be preserved as part of the restoration of the Old Fort.

Unconventional and breezy in his ways, he used, referring to the fact that he had entirely lost one eye, to say that he "had a single eye to Her Majesty's Service," and sitting straddled, as was his habit, on a four-legged saddle shaped sort of seat that "he was always in the saddle, ready for a call to action."

In 1889 _Cibola_ and _Chicora_, continued their usual services with satisfaction and regularity.

The Observation Train service of the New York Central Railway increased much in importance as also the transfer between Lewiston and Queenston. A smart little steamer was purchased to specially fill these services.

Following our habit we searched for some name which would be appropriate to the conditions.

The "Relations des Jesuits" are the reports sent back to France between 1616 and 1672 by the devoted Jesuit priests who had come over in the early French Regime and worked among the Indians for their Christianization. Much information is given in these conditions among the tribes, and concerning the geography of the country.

One of these, _Pere Lallement_, reports that in 1642 an "_Onguiaara_" tribe of Indians were living between the two lower lakes on a river bearing the same name as the tribe. Later on the Great Falls on this river are mentioned as the "_Ongiara Cataractes_." This name of _Ongiara_, which was the earliest by which the river was known among the Indians, has since been trans.m.u.ted by the whites into its present name Niagara.

We therefore named the little steamer _Ongiara_ as being appropriate to the history of her surroundings, and to her duties between the original portage routes of Indian and historic periods at the landings at Lewiston and Queenston.

CHAPTER XIV.

RUNNING THE BLOCKADE ON THE LET HER B.--AS TOLD BY HER CAPTAIN-OWNER.

During 1889 we had the pleasure of a visit from Captain George B. Boynton, the former owner of _Chicora_ in her blockade running days, who was delighted to renew acquaintance with his early ally. He gave us many reminiscenses of that stirring period, the narration of them cannot be done better than by giving extract by courteous permission of the publisher from his narrative as afterwards contained[5] under the heading "Looking for Trouble." Copyright, 1911, by _Adventure Magazine_, the Ridgway Company.