SOME OBSERVATIONS ON NIAGARA. zi 



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On the first evening of my visit, I met, at the head of Biddle's 

 Stair, the guide to the Cave of the Winds. He was in the prime of 

 manhood large, well built, firm and pleasant in mouth and eye. My 

 interest in the seene stirred up his, and made him communicative. 

 Turning to a photograph, he described, by reference to it, a feat which 

 he had accomplished some time previously, and which had brought 

 him almost under the green water of the Horseshoe Fall. " Can vou 

 lead me there to-morrow ? " I asked. He eyed me inquiringly, weigh- 

 ing, perhaps, the chances of a man of light build and with gray in his 

 whiskers in such an undertaking. " I wish," I added, " to see as much 

 of the fall as can be seen, and where you lead I will endeavor to fol- 

 low." His scrutiny relaxed into a smile, and he said, " Very well ; I 

 shall be ready for you to-morrow." 



On the morrow, accordingly, I came. In the hut at the head of 

 Biddle's Stair I stripped wholly, and redressed according to instruc- 

 tions drawing on two pairs of woollen pantaloons, three woollen 

 jackets, two pairs of socks, and a pair of felt shoes. Even if wet, my 

 guide urged that the clothes would keep me from being chilled, and 

 he was right. A suit and hood of yellow oil-eloth covered all. Most 

 laudable precautions were taken by the young assistant of the guide 

 to keep the water out, but his devices broke down immediately when 

 severely tested. 



We descended the stair; the handle of a pitchfork doing in my 

 case the duty of an alpenstock. At the bottom my guide inquired 

 whether we should go first to the. Cave of the Winds, or to the Horse- 

 shoe, remarking that the latter would try us most. I decided to get 

 the roughest done first, and he turned to the left over the stones. 

 They were sharp and trying. The base of the first portion of the cat- 

 aract is covered with huge bowlders, obviously the ruins of the lime- 

 stone ledge above. The Avater does not distribute itself uniformly 

 among these, but seeks for itself channels through which it pours tor- 

 rentially. We passed some of these with wetted feet, but without dif- 

 ficulty. At length we came to the side of a more formidable current. 

 My guide walked along its edge until he reached its least turbulent 

 portion. Halting, he said, " This is our greatest difficulty ; if we can 

 cross here, we shall get far toward the Horseshoe." 



He waded in. It evidently required all his strength to steady him. 

 The water rose above his loins, and it foamed still higher. He had to 

 search for footing, amid unseen bowlders, against which the torrent 

 rose violently. He struggled and swayed, but he struggled success- 

 fully, and finally reached the shallower water at the other side. 

 Stretching out his arm, he said to me, " Now come on." I looked down 

 the torrent as it rushed to the river below, which was seething with 

 the tumult of the cataract. De Saussure recommended the inspection 

 of Alpine dangers with the view of making them familiar to the eye 

 before they are encountered ; and it is a wholesome custom, in places 



