Preservation of the Falls 



(though defend me from living long near it), and Cousin 1853 

 Jonathan finds it very useful for turning his mills, and it has gs,on 

 afforded ample amusement for sketchers, and will afford subjects 

 for the painter's brush as long as the world lasts. 



We crossed again the next morning to Goat Island. . . . 



We stood long in a shower of spray, watching a magnificent 

 iris formed on the mist rising from the American fall. . . . 

 Then we went to the top of the tower, once again looked into 

 the foaming caldron, got almost drenched with the dense white 

 showers which came flying over, and looked at a still more 

 beautiful and curious iris. Three portions of a bow appeared on 

 as many different clouds of spray, altogether forming an entire 

 bow. The part on the left was formed on the spray of the great 

 Fall, the centre on that of the American Fall, and the right on 

 that which ascends from the water projected to the right of the 

 tower close to Goat Island. Dark clouds gathering rapidly in the 

 west gave a more purely malachite tint to the edge of the Falls, 

 and brought out the white foam in greater relief, so, warned by 

 the signs of approaching rain, we hurried home. It came in a 

 pelting shower, but after dinner we were able to pay a visit to 

 Table Rock, when we watched a number of wild fowl sporting 

 on the edge of the Fall. Now and then one would pitch on the 

 hurtling waters, when down it would be carried amidst the mass 

 of foam; but, though we narrowly watched several thus treated, 

 we could not discover whether they ever again rose, or were 

 destroyed in the vortex below. Others were flying rapidly back- 

 wards and forwards in the mist, seeming to enjoy themselves, 

 though I have some doubts whether they were not more frightened 

 than amused. The boys in the ferry-boats shot those within their 

 reach, and several of the slain were floating in the eddy. Our 

 young Charon requested leave to pull off into the very centre of 

 the boiling current in order to pick up one he had just killed, on 

 which proceeding, however, I put my veto till we were safe out of 

 his boat. 



1087 



