256 THE FOREST LANDS OF FINLAND. 
seems to me unusually large to-day. I think we had 
better leave, for I do not fancy such a finish ! and, besides, 
my paper must be published next week.” 
‘ With these very words—the latter uttered jocosely, 
though not without alarm—lI seized my companion’s hand, 
and, in absolute panic, we fled as fast as our feet could 
carry us towards what might be called the shore. We 
first burst into a laugh when we gained the land, and, 
jumping into our carriage, felt actually as if we had made 
a fortunate escape. We rolled back towards the Clifton, 
but, before we had proceeded two minutes on our way, a 
thundering report, like the explosion of an earthquake, 
burst upon us, and with a loud roar the ground trembled 
beneath our wheels. We turned to find that Table Rock 
had fallen. We were the last upon it, and it was doubtless 
the unusual perturbation caused by our flying footsteps 
that disturbed the exactitude ofits equilibrium, and threw 
it from its final poise. 
‘In a minute more the road was filled with hurrying 
people, and during the following half-hour we were told a 
hundred times in advance of the next morning journals, 
that a lady and gentleman who were on the Table Rock 
had gone down the Falls. We are told that the trot of a 
dog would shake old London Bridge from end to end, when 
it would not be disturbed by the rolling wheels of heavily 
loaded trains. Table Rock had not been run upon in the 
way I have been describing for years—perhaps never—and 
therefore, whenever I hear it spoken of, I always shudder, 
and feel as if I had something to do with its fall’ 
Leaving this to speak for itself, I may state that I have 
witnessed the effect produced by the fall of this rock, 
having visited the Falls in 1863, and again in 1873. 
In some such way may have been formed the narrow 
channel through which are poured the waters forming the 
Falls of Imatra; and thus, also, other water channels in 
other parts of Finland. 
But there may be raised the question, What has become 
