404 ABOVE THE FALLS. 



tower up the river before it reaches the Fall, as well as 

 from the higher end of the island, however, I came to a 

 clearer insight of the volume of waters so precipitated and 

 in such immeasurable quantity. The view of the river 

 above the English Falls presents the appearance of a 

 raging sea, or of a " ground race," which, in fact, it is, and 

 it is a succession of continuous small falls, all heaving the 

 dashing waters towards one grand climax. I can then 

 easily conceive that wild-fowl imperceptibly hurried on, 

 and, confused by increasing distractions caused by the 

 leaping up of the mad waters and the general roar, permit 

 themselves to be carried downwards, when, as the crest or 

 brow of the enormous wave, just as it curls to fall, offers 

 a smooth space, the fowl, not aware of the imminent ruin 

 that lies below, and that they do not then see, get into the 

 terrible impetus far enough to be suddenly aware of their 

 danger, and turning against stream, and stretching their 

 wings, the mere splash of the surface spray strikes them 

 and hurls them to perdition. 



About seven years previous to my visit to the Falls, 

 and just at day-break, or about five o'clock in the morn 

 ing, a man was proceeding across the bridge on the 

 American side to Goat Island, when his attention was at 

 tracted to an unusual object rising from a rock, scarce five 

 yards in circumference, in the very midst of the raging 

 river, and scarce two hundred yards from the brink of the 

 awful Fall. The man stopped and stared at the dark ob 

 ject, for it had the outline of the human form, though 

 the situation where the figure appeared was supposed to 

 be beyond all living or human reach. He stopped and 

 stared, and, staring, doubted his senses ; but as every in 

 stant the dawn of day increased, he felt assured, in the in 

 creasing light, that the object which he saw on that ex- 



