The Project Gutenberg eBook, Niagara, by Peter A. (Peter Augustus) Porter

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Title: Niagara
An Aboriginal Center of Trade

Author: Peter A. (Peter Augustus) Porter

Release Date: April 12, 2010 [eBook #31955]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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NIAGARA

An Aboriginal Center of Trade

by

PETER A. PORTER

Niagara Falls
1906

Copyright,
Peter A. Porter,
1906.

NIAGARA, AN ABORIGINAL CENTER OF TRADE

The printed story of Niagara dates back only three centuries; and
during the first three decades of even that period the references to
this wonderful handiwork of Nature--which was located in a then
unexplored region of a New World, a Continent then inhabited only by
warring tribes of superstitious Savages--are few and far between.

Three facts relating to this locality--and three only--seem to be
proven as ante-dating the commencement of that printed story.

That its "Portage" had long been in use.

That it was then, and long had been, a spot for the annual assemblage
of the Indians "for trade."

That here, and here only, was found a certain substance which the
Aborigines had long regarded as a cure for many human ills.

Before 1600, everything else that we think we know, and like to quote
about Niagara, is only Indian Myth or Tradition; possibly handed down
for Ages, orally, from generation to generation, amongst the
Aborigines; or, quite as p