296 EXPEDITION TO THE 



but composed of an alternation of retiring and salient 

 angles, and presenting a great variety of shapes and shades ; 

 each of these forms in itself a perfect cascade, but when 

 taken together in one comprehensive view, they assume a 

 beauty of which we could have scarcely deemed them 

 susceptible. We have seen many falls, but few which 

 present a wilder and more picturesque aspect than those 

 of St. Anthony. The vegetation which grows around them 

 is of a corresponding character. The thick growth upon 

 the island, imparts to it a gloomy aspect, contrasting 

 pleasingly with the bright surface of the watery sheet 

 which reflects the sun in many differently-coloured hues. 

 The force of the current above the fall is very great, but, 

 as we were told that it could be forded, wc determined to 

 attempt to cross immediately above the fall. The place at 

 which we forded was within a few yards of the edge of the 

 rock, and as we passed we could not repress a feeling of ap- 

 prehension at the danger which we were incurring. The 

 water never, it is true, rose above two feet and a half, but 

 the rock upon which we were treading was very smooth, 

 and the force of the current such that we were frequently 

 exposed to slip; while at the same time we were con- 

 vinced that if we made but a single false step, we must in- 

 evitably perish, as it would have been impossible to regain 

 a foothold had it once been lost. We crossed over to the 

 island, and having gone round it to the eastern part of the 

 fall, Messrs. Say and Colhoun forded over from this to 

 the left bank of the river ; in this they experienced even 

 greater difficulty than before, as the water was deeper and 

 its current more impetuous. Mr. Keating attempted it, 

 but found himself unable to accomplish it, being at the 

 time considerably debilitated by a fever, which he had had 

 for the two or three preceding days; finding himself 



