180 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



Turning to a photograph, he described, by reference to 

 it, a feat which he had accomplished some time pre- 

 viously, and which had brought him almost under the 

 green water of the Horseshoe Fall. ' Can you lead me 

 there to-morrow?' I asked. He eyed me enquiringly, 

 weighing, perhaps, the chances of a man of light build, 

 and with grey in his whiskers, in such an undertaking. 

 * I wish/ I added, ' to see as much of the fall as can be 

 seen, and where you lead I will endeavour to follow/ 

 His scrutiny relaxed into a smile, and he said, ' Very 

 well; I shall be ready for you to-morrow.' 



On the morrow, accordingly, I came. In the hut 

 at the head of Biddle's Stair I stripped wholly, and 

 re-dressed according to instructions, drawing on two 

 pairs of woollen pantaloons, three woollen jackets, two 

 pairs of socks, and a pair of felt shoes. Even if wet, 

 my guide assured me that the clothes would keep me 

 from being chilled; and he was right. A suit and 

 hood of yellow oilcloth covered all. Most laudable pre- 

 cautions were taken by the young assistant who helped 

 to dress me to keep the water out; but his devices 

 broke down immediately when severely tested. 



We descended the stair; the handle of a pitchfork 

 doing, in my case, the duty of an alpenstock. At the 

 bottom, the guide enquired whether we should go first 

 to the Cave of the Winds, or to the Horseshoe, remark- 

 ing that the latter would try us most. I decided on 

 getting the roughest done first, and he turned to the 

 left over the -stones. They were sharp and trying. The 

 base of the first portion of the cataract is covered 

 with huge boulders, obviously the ruins of the lime- 

 stone ledge above. The water does not distribute itself 

 uniformly among these, but seeks out channels through 

 which it pours torrentially. We passed some of these 

 with wetted feet, but without difficulty. At length 



