328 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



to me that immense wall was about to bury me and my 

 four travelling companions, who must have had a similar 

 feeling for, as soon as I turned my back, every one of 

 them followed me. As the rain had ceased I under- 

 took a trip to Goat-Island and went on foot to the 

 neighboring Luna-Island, a romantic little place in the 

 American branch. From the latter Island one can look 

 straight down into the whirlpool, called Devils-pool, one 

 hundred and eighty-six feet below, into which the Luna 

 branch pours its waters. After this I visited the Terra- 

 pin tower, which has been erected upon a rock, in the 

 Horseshoe Fall. This tower is indeed the strangest spot 

 in this most remarkable place on the American continent, 

 as one is actually permitted to visit it without paying a 

 cent for the privilege, a rather incredible fact in Niagara. 

 Then followed a trip to the "Three Sisters," little islands 

 on the Canadian Branch, similar to Luna-Island and 

 joined to Goat-Island by pretty little foot-bridges. By 

 this time my appetite made itself felt and nature within 

 demanded its share of the pleasure, which circumstance 

 led me back to the Hotel. No sooner had I sat down to 

 dinner than thunder and lightning made out-door life dis- 

 agreeable, but fortunately the sun won the race and tri- 

 umphantly showed his power soon after two o'clock. Re- 

 joice my heart, the worry has passed! Again I went to 

 the suspension bridge to inspect it at my leisure. This 

 marvellous structure is eight hundred and twenty-five 

 feet in length and the rails are two hundred and sixty- 

 five feet above the level of the Niagara River, which is 

 said to be two hundred feet deep at this spot. The bridge 

 has two stories, the lower one for carriages and foot-pas- 

 sengers and the top one for the Railroad. It happened 

 that a heavy freight-train passed this bridge, while I was 

 walking below. There was considerable shaking, but con- 

 trary to my expectation, very little of visible motion. The 

 enormous height of the structure cannot be realized from 

 the window of a passing train but, when one stands be- 

 low, the magnificence of this masterpiece of human in- 

 vention inspires one with awe for the Divine Intelligence 



