Niagara Falls 



urged by the breath of a hurricane, and then slowly ascending, 

 and hovering like a cloud in the blue sky, all combine to form a 

 scene in which sublimity and picturesque beauty are enchantingly 

 blended. There is here none of that stiffness, either in the 

 scenery, or the form and appearance of the particular object of 

 interest, which engravings too frequently give you the idea of. 



Among the innumerable points of view, that from the precipi- 

 tous shore of the river, about the distance I have alluded to, is 

 the most satisfactory, if not the most striking. In the immediate 

 vicinity of the Falls, the points of interest are so various, that if 

 you would require a sketch, I should not know which to select. 

 The grandest, doubtless, is from the Canadian shore, near the 

 Horse-shoe Fall ; but you pass from one to the other, and every- 

 where the picture presented has no compeer or rival in nature. 



Many things combined to make us prefer choosing the village 

 on the American shore for our halting-place, in preference to the 

 garish hotel on the opposite site. The greater monotony of the 

 right-hand division of the cataract, was counterbalanced by the 

 grand distant view of its neighbour, and by the practicability of 

 a near approach to both from Goat Island, to which an easy 

 access is afforded by a boldly constructed bridge over the rapids. 

 Besides, we agreed that the position of the village and its inns 

 was not only more rural and secluded, but that better taste was 

 exhibited in its details. 



What a glorious scene! to sit upon the summit of the impend- 

 ing precipice of the island, and see, as we did the morning after 

 our first arrival, the summer mist begin to rise and disengage itself 

 from the heavy white cloud of spray which rose from the depth 

 of the boiling basin of the great Fall beneath us. By degrees, 

 the curtain was partially removed, revealing the wall of slowly 

 descending water behind, now dimly descried, — as confounded 

 with the floating sheets of foam and spray which the wind of the 

 mighty cataract drove backward and forward over it like innu- 

 merable clouds of thin floating gauze, — it mocked us with its 

 constantly varying shape and position; and then appearing 



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