318 ContHbutions to Physical Geography. 



light, seemed to complete the rare union of the beautiful with 

 the sublime. * * # * 



" Though earnestly dissuaded from the undertaking, I de- 

 termined to employ the first fine morning in visiting the cavern 

 beneath the fall. The guide recommended my companion and 

 myself to set out as early as six o^clock, that we might have 

 the advantage of the morning sun upon the waters. We came 

 to the guide's house at the appointed hour, and disencumbered 

 ourselves of such garments as we did not care to have wetted. 

 Descending the circular ladder, we followed the course of the 

 path running along the top of the debris of the precipice, 

 which I have already described. Having pursued this tract 

 for abouty eighty yards, in the course of which we were com- 

 pletely drenched, we found ourselves close to the cataract. 

 Although enveloped in a cloud of spray, we could distinguish 

 without difficulty the direction of our path and the nature of 

 the cavern we were about to enter. Our guide warned us of 

 the difficulty in respiration which we should encounter from 

 the spray, and recommended us to look with exclusive atten- 

 tion to the security of our footing. Thus warned, we pushed 

 forward, blown about and buffeted by the wind, stunned by 

 the noise, and blinded by the spray ; each successive gust pene- 

 trated us to the very bones with cold. Determined to proceed, 

 we toiled and struggled on, and having followed the footsteps 

 of the guide as far as was possible, consistently with safety, we 

 sat down, and having collected our senses by degrees, the 

 wonders of the cavern slowly developed themselves. It is im- 

 possible to describe the strange unnatural light reflected 

 through its crystal wall, the roar of the waters, and the blasts 

 of the hurricane, which perpetually rages in its recesses. We 

 endured its fury a sufficient time to form a notion of the shape 

 and dimensions of this dreadful place. The cavern was toler- 

 ably light, though the sun was unfortunately enveloped in 

 clouds ; his disc was invisible, but we could clearly distinguish 

 his situation through the watery barrier. The fall of the cata- 

 ract is nearly perpendicular ; the bank, over which it is preci- 

 pitated, is of concave form, owing to its upper stratum being 

 composed of limestone and its base of soft slatestone, which has 

 been eaten away by the constant attrition of the recoiling wa- 



