Travels Through North America 



We left Fredericksburg the 6th instant, and went 

 to see the Falls. At this place is a small mercantile 

 town called Falmouth, whose inhabitants are en- 

 deavouring to rival the Fredericksburghers in their 

 trade. It is built upon the north side of the river, 

 and consists of eighteen or twenty houses. 



The Falls of Rappahannock are similar to those of 

 James river, except that they are not upon so large 

 a scale. The whole range scarcely exceeds half a 

 mile, and the breadth not a hundred yards. At the 

 time of our going to see them, there was a fresh in 

 the river, which added very much to their beauty. 

 The center of view was an island of about an hun- 

 dred acres covered with trees; this divided the river 

 into two branches, in each of which, at regular dis- 

 tances of fifteen or twenty yards, was a chain of six 

 or seven falls, one above another, the least of them 

 a foot perpendicular. The margin was beautifully 

 variegated with rocks and trees, and the whole 

 formed a pleasing romantic scene. 



At this place we met with a person who informed 

 us of his having been, a few days before, a spectator 

 of that extraordinary phenomenon in nature, the 

 fascinating power of the rattle-snake. He observed 

 one lying coiled near a tree, looking directly at a bird 

 which had settled there. The bird was under great 

 agitation, uttered the most doleful cries, hopped from 

 spray to spray, and at length flew directly down to 

 the snake, which opened its mouth and swallowed it. 



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