a7id Physical Structure of the adjacent Country. 119 



the most intense curiosity, every turn and opening in the road 

 (which continues close to the river side all the way), to catch 

 a glimpse of any thing which might serve to convince us "of 

 our drawing near to the object of our journey. As we ad- 

 vanced, the river became broader, and is divided by islands, 

 one of which is six miles in length. When within eight miles 

 of the Falls, a mist was observed to be rising from the river, 

 and a deep dead sound was faintly heard ; but still the face of 

 the country appeared unchanged. No rocks rose in the dis- 

 tance, to mark the rude convulsions of Nature, which the ima- 

 gination had conjured up as forming portals to the cataracts 

 of Niagara. The noise, on approaching, gradually increased ; 

 the mist rose in dense volumes, and formed clouds in the air. 

 Through the openings in the wood, we soon came in sight of 

 the rapids, and the verge of the precipice over which the waters 

 rush. 



It will be seen, by a reference to the map, that the road 

 from Waterloo runs by the Canada side of the river, and is 

 nearly on a level with Lake Erie : it brings you to the back of 

 the FalJs, and, therefore, not a glimpse of them is any where 

 visible until you reach the cataract itself. 



Immediately after our arrival at the hotel {Jig> La), we 

 proceeded to what is called the Table Rock, over which 

 the mighty flood pours down. From the inn there is a gradual 

 descent to a very steep bank of red alluvial sand, about 140 feet 

 high, which caps the limestone rock. This bank {h) is thickly 

 and beautifully wooded with oaks, sycamores, pines, and other 

 forest trees. Having descended it, we walked over planks 

 laid down on the marshy ground, to the extent of 200 yards, 

 which brought us to the brink of a precipice (c), where the 

 whole scene bursts at once on the sight. We were here on a 

 level with the river, immediately before it rushes down the 

 dreadful abyss. The loud, solemn, all-pervading roar of the 

 waters is indescribably awful. The great commotion of waters 

 at the base is concealed by thick clouds of mist, which, on 

 ascending to a certain height, are borne away by the winds. 

 The water, from violent agitation, is perfectly white for some 

 distance below the Falls, and tilts up and down like a little 

 sea, producing a thick cream-coloured foam, which is seen 

 floating down the stream in large beds. The sublimity of the 

 scene cannot be exceeded. We find ourselves suddenly in 

 the presence of a superior power, and feel an impressive con- 

 sciousness of our own nothingness. This Fall (from its con- 

 cave form called the Horse-shoe Fall) is 600 yards wide, 

 and 158 feet perpendicular. The descent of the rapids imme^ 

 diately above the Falls (J) is 58 feet, making the whole SI 6 feet. 



I 4 



