﻿12 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  fall 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  The 
  Hermit's 
  cascade 
  " 
  lies 
  between 
  Goat 
  

   island 
  and 
  the 
  First 
  Sister. 
  In 
  the 
  pool 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  this 
  fall 
  Fran- 
  

   cis 
  Abbot, 
  the 
  Hermit 
  of 
  Niagara, 
  was 
  wont 
  to 
  take 
  his 
  daily 
  bath. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  bridges 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  islands 
  unsurpassed 
  views 
  of 
  the 
  

   upper 
  rapids 
  are 
  obtained. 
  These 
  are 
  particularly 
  impressive 
  when 
  

   seen 
  from 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  Third 
  Sister. 
  Of 
  these 
  rapids 
  as 
  seen 
  

   from 
  the 
  Terrapin 
  rocks, 
  the 
  Duke 
  of 
  Argyle 
  wrote 
  : 
  

  

  When 
  we 
  stand 
  at 
  any 
  point 
  near 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  falls, 
  and 
  look 
  

   up 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  stream, 
  the 
  foaming 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  rapids 
  con- 
  

   stitute 
  the 
  sky 
  line. 
  No 
  indication 
  of 
  land 
  is 
  visible 
  — 
  nothing 
  to 
  ex- 
  

   press 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  looking 
  at 
  a 
  river. 
  The 
  crests 
  of 
  the 
  

   breakers, 
  the 
  leaping 
  and 
  the 
  rushing 
  of 
  the 
  waters, 
  are 
  still 
  seen 
  

   against 
  the 
  clouds 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  ocean, 
  when 
  the 
  ship 
  from 
  

   which 
  we 
  look 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  trough 
  of 
  the 
  sea. 
  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  resist 
  

   the 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  imagination. 
  It 
  is 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  fountains 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  

   deep 
  were 
  being 
  broken 
  up, 
  and 
  that 
  a 
  new 
  deluge 
  were 
  coming 
  on 
  

   the 
  world. 
  The 
  impression 
  is 
  rather 
  increased 
  than 
  diminished 
  by 
  

   the 
  perspective 
  of 
  the 
  low 
  wooded 
  banks 
  on 
  either 
  shore, 
  running 
  

   down 
  to 
  a 
  vanishing 
  point 
  and 
  seeming 
  to 
  be 
  lost 
  in 
  the 
  advancing 
  

   waters. 
  An 
  apparently 
  shoreless 
  sea 
  tumbling 
  toward 
  one 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   grand 
  and 
  a 
  very 
  awful 
  sight. 
  Forgetting, 
  then, 
  what 
  one 
  knows, 
  

   and 
  giving 
  oneself 
  to 
  what 
  one 
  only 
  sees, 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  that 
  there 
  

   is 
  anything 
  in 
  nature 
  more 
  majestic 
  than 
  the 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  rapids 
  

   above 
  the 
  falls 
  of 
  the 
  Niagara. 
  

  

  On 
  returning 
  to 
  Goat 
  island 
  the 
  visitor 
  may 
  take 
  the 
  reservation 
  

   carriage 
  for 
  a 
  return 
  to 
  Prospect 
  park, 
  or 
  he 
  may 
  continue 
  his 
  walks 
  

   around 
  or 
  across 
  Goat 
  island. 
  

  

  In 
  front 
  of 
  Prospect 
  park 
  the 
  electric 
  cars 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  cross 
  

   the 
  river, 
  the 
  bridge-toll 
  which 
  every 
  foot 
  passenger 
  has 
  to 
  pay, 
  

   being 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  car 
  fare. 
  

  

  Views 
  from 
  the 
  Canadian 
  side 
  

  

  The 
  Canadian 
  side 
  is 
  reached 
  either 
  by 
  bridge 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  steamer 
  

   Maid 
  of 
  the 
  Mist?- 
  Every 
  visitor 
  to 
  the 
  falls 
  should 
  obtain 
  the 
  views 
  

   from 
  the 
  Canadian 
  side, 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  many 
  respects 
  superior 
  to 
  

   any 
  obtainable 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  side. 
  Several 
  rustic 
  arbors 
  have 
  

   been 
  constructed 
  along 
  the 
  brink 
  of 
  the 
  gorge 
  in 
  Queen 
  Victoria 
  

   park, 
  and 
  here 
  the 
  visitor 
  may 
  tarry 
  for 
  hours 
  and 
  not 
  weary 
  of 
  

  

  ^If 
  the 
  visitor 
  plans 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  belt 
  line 
  ride 
  — 
  Niagara, 
  Queenston, 
  

   Lewiston 
  — 
  he 
  will 
  have 
  opportunity 
  to 
  stop 
  off 
  in 
  Queen 
  Victoria 
  park, 
  

   and 
  need 
  not 
  make 
  a 
  special 
  crossing. 
  

  

  