WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 47 



A few miles before you reach the great fall, and 

 "which, indeed, is the only one which can be called 

 a fall, large balls of froth come floating past you. 

 The river appears beautifully marked with streaks 

 of foam, and on your nearer approach the stream 

 is whitened all over. 



At first, you behold the fall rushing down a bed 

 of rocks, with a tremendous noise, divided into 

 two foamy streams, wliich at their junction again 

 form a small island covered with wood. Above 

 this island, for a short space, there appears but 

 one stream, all white with froth, and fretting and 

 boiling amongst the huge rocks which obstruct its 

 course. 



Higher up it is seen dividing itself into a short 

 channel or two, and trees grow on the rocks which 

 caused its separation. The torrent in many 

 places has eaten deep into the rocks, and split 

 them into large fragments by driving others 

 against them. The trees on the rocks are in 

 bloom and vigour, though their roots are half 

 bared, and many of them bruised and broken by 

 the rushing waters. 



This is the general appearance of the fall from 

 the level of the water below to where the river is 

 smooth and quiet above. It must be remembered 

 that this is during the periodical rains. Probably 

 in the dry season it puts on a very different ap- 

 pearance. There is no perpendicular fall of water 

 of any consequence throughout it, but the dreadful 

 roaring and rushing of the torrent down a long, 

 rocky, and moderately sloping channel, has a fine 

 effect; and the stranger returns well pleased 

 with what he has seen. No animal, nor craft of 



