and Physical Struckcre of the adjacent Country. 123; 



rocks. These rapids, alone, would be visited by thousands in 

 any other situation. The descent is about 60 feet in half a mile. 

 On crossing the bridge, for which I paid 25 c, I came to the 

 Enchanted Island, commonly called Goats' Island (^). Se- 

 veral females were gathering wild raspberries, of which there 

 was great abundance. As I was rambling through this de- 

 lightful spot, I observed, at a short distance, a tall figure, 

 in a long dark-coloured cloak, with an old broad-brimmed 

 hat, a iblio book under his arm, and a staff or wand in his 

 hand, walking majestically towards me. I felt a kind of 

 awe on approaching this singular-looking character, who 

 appeared the Genius of the place, the Prospero of the island. 

 When I came up with him, he gave me a mysterious look, and 

 passed. To follow up the fiction of the Enchanted Island, a 

 Mira?ida was not wanting, for I had seen her gathering fruit ; 

 and, as for Caliban, he was, no doubt, growling mischief 

 under the Falls. 



Following the course of the stream, from the bridge to 

 the Falls, I came to a very retired nook or spot of ground (I), 

 where not more than two or three persons could safely stand 

 without the fear of being elbowed down the cataract. Seated 

 on the root of a tree, under a natural arbour which overhung 

 the abyss, I surveyed, with mingled feelings of admiration and 

 awe, the beauty and grandeur of the scene beneath me. It 

 was a most lovely day : sunshine and cloud, by turns, swept 

 over the face of Nature ; the effect was heightened by the 

 magical appearance of the inconstant rainbow. This was the 

 segment of a circle, and not a circular iris like that before 

 mentioned. A ledge of rock (o) divides the water mto two 

 unequal falls. These Falls are higher than the Horse-shoe 

 Falls, and, being much narrower, they appear still more so. 

 The breadth of the island is about 500 yards from this point 

 to the Canada Falls, on approachhig v/hich, I came unex- 

 pectedly upon an open piece of ground that commands a fine 

 view of the rapids (d), whose turbulent career commences 

 half a mile from the Fall. The distant horizon to the south 

 is bounded by forests. On the opposite woody banks were 

 seen the two hotels, and, to the north, the beautiful avenue 

 of rocks, clothed wdth vegetation, through which the river 

 escapes. 



A railed platform (w^) has been constructed on the rocks, 

 extending over the water from the island, to the commence- 

 ment of the curve which forms the concave central part of the 

 Horse-shoe. The whole Canada Fall may be said to form 

 three curves : the two sides are small, being slightly convex ; 

 the centre concave, with the edge much broken. The station 



