VISIT TO THE FALLS OF NIAGARA. 91 



recording, only that the passengers were doubtful whether or 

 not I was a government officer, commissioner, or spy. I ob- 

 tained some new birds by the way, and in six days I arrived at 

 Rochester. 



" Bochester, August 22. Five years ago there were but few 

 buildings here, and the population is now five thousand; the 

 banks of the river are lined with mills and factories. The 

 beautiful falls of the Genesee Eiver, about eighty feet high and 

 four times as broad, I have visited, and have made a slight 

 sketch of them. One and a half miles below is another fall of 

 the same height, but the water is much more broken in its 

 descent. 



"August 24. Took passage for Buffalo, arrived safely, and 

 passed a sleepless night, as most of my nights have been since 

 I began my wanderings. Left next morning for the Falls of 

 Niagara : the country is poor, the soil stiff white clay, and the 

 people are lank and sallow. Arrived at the hotel, found but 

 few visitors, recorded my name, and wrote under it, ' who, 

 like Wilson, will ramble, but never, like that great man, die 

 under the lash of a bookseller.' 



" AU trembling I reached the Falls of Niagara, and oh, what a 

 scene ! my blood shudders still, although I am not a coward, at 

 the grandeur of the Creator's power ; and I gazed motionless on 

 this new display of the irresistible force of one of His elements. 

 The falls, the rainbow, the rapids, and the surroimdings all 

 unite to strike the senses with awe ; they defy description with 

 pen or pencil ; and a view satisfied me that Niagara never had 

 been, and never will be painted. I moved towards the rapids, 

 over which there is a bridge to Goat Island, that I would Kke 

 to have crossed, to look on the water which was rushing with 

 indescribable swiftness below, but was deterred from the low 

 state of my funds. Walking along the edge of the stream for a 

 few hundred yards, the full effect of the whole grand rush of 

 the water was before me. The colour of the water was a verdi- 

 gris green, and contrasted remarkably with the falling torrent. 

 The mist of the spray mounted to the clouds, while the roaring 

 below sounded like constant heavy thunder, making me think 

 at times that the earth was shaking also. 



"Fro:n this point I could see three-quarters of a mile down 



