SOUTH AMERICA. 267 



in July, 1824, and begs leave to pen down the wwu 

 following dreadful accident: 



" He sprained his foot, and hurt his toe, 

 On the rough road near Buffalo. 

 It quite distresses him to stagger a- 

 Long the sharp rocks of famed Niagara. 

 So thus he's doomed to drink the measure 

 Of pain, in lieu of that of pleasure. 

 On Hope's delusive pinions borne 

 He came for wool, and goes back shorn. 

 N. B. Here he alludes to nothing but 

 Th' adventure of his toe and foot ; 

 Save this, he sees all that which can 

 Delight and charm the soul of man, 

 But feels it not, because his toe 

 And foot together plague him so." 



I remember once to have sprained my ancle 

 very violently many years ago, and that the 

 doctor ordered me to hold it under the pump two 

 or three times a day. Now, in the United States 

 of America, all is upon a grand scale, except 

 taxation ; and I am convinced that the traveller's 

 ideas become much more enlarged as he journeys 

 through the country. This being the case, I can 

 easily account for the desire I felt to hold my 

 sprained foot under the fall of Niagara. I de- 

 scended the winding staircase which has been 

 made for the accommodation of travellers, and 

 then hobbled on to the scene of action. As I 

 held my leg under the fall, I tried to meditate 

 on the immense difference there was betwixt a 



