392 THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. 



day for the grand aqueous sight of this part of the world, I 

 found two comfortable rooms prepared for me, and all that I 

 could desire, when, with a dreamy and distant but still de 

 fined sound of the Fall in my ears, I went to sleep full of ex 

 pectation, and awoke in no one way to be disappointed ! 



By nine o'clock on Friday, the 18th of November, 

 after a very good breakfast, I entered the comfortable 

 pair-horse fly which, with an intelligent driver, mine 

 host of the Monteagle Hotel had provided for me, and 

 with a longing expectation I bade the driver take me to 

 the English side of the Falls. On reaching the suspen 

 sion bridge before described, a heavy train was propelled 

 across the bridge above, as I came the reverse way in 

 my carriage, while beneath us fretted, leaped, foamed, 

 rushed, and out-roared the stupendous rattling thunder 

 of the train above, the pent-up fury of the Niagara 

 river. Nature's voice and artificial sound thus came in 

 contact in an antagonism seldom witnessed, when thus 

 early in the day it was given me for the hundredth time 

 to hear as well as see how small are the ways of those 

 that are bad when compared to the things that have 

 been " seen to be good" under heaven. After passing 

 the suspension bridge we ascended to the left, when, on 

 coming to the summit of the rocky cliffs, 160 feet sheer 

 above the boiling river, in a voice of admiration I called 

 to the driver to let me out and hold his tongue. 



In one of those still, soft, and lovely days, when mere 

 existence is a blessing, when the air is redolent of health, 

 and the heart of man disposed to feel the best influence 

 of Nature, I stood above the Niagara river, and advanced 

 so closely to the edge of the precipice that my well-in 

 tentioned coachman dared to disobey my orders, and to 

 speak a word of caution. On the opposite side of the river 



