is 9 miles long, and nearly the same in width
in its widest part. At the foot of Grand Island
is Navy Island, containing about 300 acres,
which belongs to Canada, and was occupied by
the Patriots, so called, in 1837-8. There are
many other small islands in this section of the
river, among which are Bird Island, between
Buffalo and Fort Erie; Squaw Island, opposite
to Black Rock, containing 131 acres; Strawberry
Island, 100 acres ; Beaver Island, 30 acres ; Rat-
tlesnake Island, 48 acres ; Tonawanta Island, 69
acres; Cayuga Island, 100 acres, about 4 miles
above the falls; Buckhorn Island, 146 acres;
and Goat or Iris Island, upon the very brink of
the cataract, containing 75 acres. The shores
of The river are low, and nearly level, from Lake
Erie to the falls, and are but little inhabited.
Black Creek and Chippewa Creek empty into it
from the Canada side, and Shojoekety, Tona-
wanta, Cayuga, and Gill Creeks from the Ameri-
can side. All these are above the falls. Below
the termination of Grand and Navy Islands, the
two channels are again united, and the river, be-
ing compressed to a width of about two miles
and a half, begins to flow on with an accelerated
motion, in a gradually contracting channel, un-
til it reaches the rapids, over which it is hurried,
foaming and roaring, with irresistible velocity,
for about three fourths of a mile farther, to the
great Cataract of Niagara. Here its whole vol-
ume is precipitated over a perpendicular wall of
rock, into a chasm from 150 to 160 feet in depth,
to the surface of the stream below. Immediate-
ly under the cataract the depth to which the
channel has been excavated cannot, of course, be
fathomed; but a short distance below, where the
river is compressed to less than one fourth of a
mile in width, the current has been ascertained by
soundings to be about 250 feet deep. For a
more particular description of this great natural
phenomenon, the reader is referred to a separate
article, embracing many details which do not so
properly belong to an account of the river. The
general course of the river from Lake Erie to
the falls is about N. W. by N. Below this point
its general direction to Lake Ontario, 14 miles,
is about due N. For about half this distance, to
Lewiston, the river flows with concentrated vol-
ume, and with great velocity, in a descent of 104
feet, between banks gradually increasing in
height from 150 to nearly 400 feet. These high
banks terminate abruptly just above Lewiston ;
and the river thence flows on over an extensive
plain, with scarcely more than two feet declivity,
through the whole remaining distance of seven
miles, to Lake Ontario. The river here becomes
wider, and of course more tranquil, and its clear
waters, flowing between even and regular banks,
assume an appearance as lovely as it was before
majestic. Nearly opposite Lewiston is Queens-
town, on the Canada side. To these places the
river is navigable for steamboats, and vessels
coming into it from Lake Ontario. The whole
descent of the river, from Lake Ei'ie to Lake On-
tario, is 334 feet. See Fashionable Resorts.

Nicollet Lake, Ca. Uh. A large sheet of water
lying S. S. W. from the Great Salt Lake. Its
principal outlet is Nicollet River.

Nidjikwe Lake, La Pointe co., Wn. Situated
E. from Mcminis Lake, at the head of Nameke-
gon River.

' Nine Mile Creek, Onondaga co., N. Y., flows N.
into Onondaga Lake.

29

Nipple Top. See Dial Mountain.

Nishnabatona River, Io. and Mo. It rises in
the S. W. interior of Io., flows S. W., crossing
Mills co., Io., and Atchison co., Mo., and empties
into the Missouri in Holt co.

Noddaway River, Mo., rises in the S. W. part
of In. Ter., and enters the Missouri iu the N. W.
part of the state, after a course of 200 miles.

Nodding's Point, Camden co., Ga., juts into
Jykill Sound just above Dover Island.

Nokay River, Ma. It rises in a chain of lakes,
flows S. W., and empties into the Mississippi, a
little below Crow Wing River.

Nolackucky River, N. C. and Te., has its source
in Buncombe co., on the W. side of the Blue
Ridge, and enters the French Broad River in Te.

Noland's Creek, Ts. It rises in the Cross Tim-
bers, and flows S. into Brazos River.

Nolin Creek, Ky., rises in Hardin and Laure
counties, flows S. W., forming the boundary be-
tween Grayson and Hart counties, and falls into
Green River, opposite Brownsville, Edmonson co.

Noman's Land Island, Dukes co., Ms. Situated
off the town of Chilmark, and directly S. from
Gay Head.

Nonesuch River, Me. A small stream which
waters Scarboro', and falls into the sea.

Norley River, one of the head branches of the
Hiawassee, rises in Ga., flows N. N. W., and en-
ters the Hiawassee in Cherokee co., N. C?

Normanskill, N. Y., rises in Schenectady co.,
flows S. E., and falls into Hudson River in the
town of Bethlehem, Albany co.

North Fork, White River, drains Ozark co.,
Mo., flows S. into As., and enters White River
in the N. W. part of Izard co.

North Island, Georgetown district, S. C. Sit-
uated at the entrance of Winyaw Bay.

North River, Ms. The head of this river is at
Pembroke; it is very deep and narrow, and so
exceedingly crooked that it meanders 18 miles in
its course from Pembroke to Scituate harbor,
when the distance by land is less than 6 miles.

North River, N. Y. See Hudson River.

North River, N. C., forms the boundary between
Currituck and Camden counties, and empties into
Albemarle Sound.

North River, St. John's co., Fa. A small stream
running parallel with the sea-coast, and falling
into St. Augustine harbor.

Northern Fork, or Fall River, Io. It rises in the
N. W. part of Dubuque co., flows S. E., and emp-
ties into Macoquetais River in Jackson co.

North Newport River, Ga. This stream rises in
some small lakes in the centre of the county, flows
S. E., and falls into St. Catherine's Sound.

North West Bay lies in the town of Westport,
Essex co., N. Y., on the W. side of Lake Cham-
plain.

Norwalk River, Fairfield co., Ct., flows in a
S. direction into Long Island Sound.

Notipecago River, Mn. This is quite a large
stream, having its sources in Oceana, Neewayga,
and Lake counties, and flowing W. across Mason
co. into Marquette Bay.

Nottoicay River, Ya. and N. C., rises in Prince
Edward co., Ya., and after a course of 110 miles,
joins the Meherun in Gates co., N. C., to form
Chowan River.

Nowadaga Creek, Herkimer co., N. Y., rises
in the town of Warren, flows N. across Danube,
where it enters the Mohawk.

Nowaynin Bay, Brown co., Wn. An inlet front