▁Roth erm el , ▁who ▁was ▁later ▁district ▁att orney ▁of ▁Philadelphia . ▁ ▁Ex pl oration ▁ ▁Grand ▁F alls ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁Bry ant ▁became ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Ge ographical ▁Society ▁of ▁Philadelphia . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁organized ▁an ▁expedition ▁to ▁Grand ▁F alls ▁in ▁Lab r ador , ▁then ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁New found land ▁Col ony ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁Church ill ▁F alls ▁in ▁New found land ▁and ▁Lab r ador , ▁Canada .) ▁Although ▁fur - tr ader ▁John ▁Mc Le an ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁west erner ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁F alls ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁none ▁were ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁returned ▁since ▁then . ▁The ▁local ▁In nu ▁people ▁had ▁a ▁tab oo ▁against ▁visit ing ▁it . ▁Bry ant ▁had ▁been ▁fasc in ated ▁with ▁the ▁Grand ▁F alls ▁for ▁several ▁years : ▁" There ▁was ▁something ▁in ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁this ▁distant ▁cat ar act — th und ering ▁on ▁for ▁ages ▁in ▁that ▁far - off ▁land — which ▁appe aled ▁for ci b ly ▁to ▁one ' s ▁imagination ". ▁Tra v elling ▁up ▁the ▁Grand ▁River ▁( now ▁the ▁Church ill ▁River ), ▁Bry ant ' s ▁group ▁encountered ▁First ▁Nations ▁tribes ▁that ▁had ▁very ▁little ▁contact ▁with ▁white ▁society . ▁After ▁an ▁ar du ous ▁journey , ▁they ▁reached ▁the ▁F alls ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁To ▁that ▁point ,