lO NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



of the falls from below. The ride on the Maid of the Mist will be 

 found an interesting- and novel experience, besides affording views 

 of the cataracts obtainable in no other way; but most people will 

 defer this till they have seen more of the cataracts and rapids from 

 above. In visiting- the foot of the falls,, an umbrella should be taken, 

 while a waterproof cloak will be found of great advantage, for the 

 visitor is apt to be drenched by the spray which will be blown on 

 him unawares. Caution is necessary here, as everywhere at Niagara, 

 to avoid accidents. In the talus heaps of limestone fragments, min- 

 erals and occasionally fossils may be found. 



From Prospect point the visitor should next turn his attention to 

 Goat island-, " the most interesting spot in all America ", as Capt. 

 Basil Hall called it. The unpoetic name of this island is, as Mr 

 Porter tells us^, commemorative of the power of endurance of a 

 male goat^ which, in company with a number of other animals, had 

 been left on this island uncared for during the severe winter of 

 1770-71, and proved the only survivor. 



From the bridges which cross to Green, and thence to Goat 

 island, memorable views of the rapids above the falls may be ob- 

 tained; and the visitor will do well to pause, that he may become 

 impressed by the magnificence of the spectacle. Perhaps he will 

 feel as did Margaret Fuller, who said: '' This was the climax of the 

 effect which the falls produced upon me — neither the American nor 

 British fall moved me as did these rapids." The naturalist will be 

 interested to note that, in spite of the fearful rush of water, fresh- 

 water mussels have found a lodging place among the more pro- 

 tected rocks, where they seem to thrive well. Along the shores of 

 the islands, in places where other animals would find it hard to gain 

 a foothold, numerous small gastropods may be found clinging to 

 the slippery rock surfaces. 



On Goat island, despite the so-called '' improvements " for the 

 convenience of visitors, nature still reigns supreme. The virgin 

 character of the forest is almost undisturbed, as it was when the 

 red man regarded this as the sacred abode of the Great Spirit of 



^Porter. Goat island. 



