The English Period 



questioned closely upon the subject, it appeared to have been only 1787 

 the small spout they had been under. Yet I by no means mean to nyi 

 assert there is not that kind of cavity betwixt the under part of 

 the rock and the fall itself, that would admit of a man going 

 under for some distance. On the contrary from the Table Rock 

 being so very much undermined near its base, I conceive it to be 

 highly probable the rock over which the Fall rolls is the same, 

 but as the falling of the spray is so very thick and troublesome 

 as to prevent your seeing and almost to prevent your breathing 

 even where we were, I do not conceive it is possible for a man to 

 exist under the great shoot itself. 



However, we did not advance thus far without finding some- 

 thing which had so far as I could find never been spoken of 

 before. Within a few yards of the place we turned round, I 

 could perceive a very strong smell of sulphur, which I remarked 

 to Mr. Douglas and on further examination we perceived a small 

 rill which descended from the rocks above and all the stones over 

 which it passed seemed covered with a whitish kind of slime. 

 This induced me to taste the water, which I found to be exactly 

 the same as the water at Harrowgate, in Yorkshire. Mr. Doug- 

 las also tasted of the same water and directly exclaimed, " it is 

 just like the washings of a gun barrel," although he declares he 

 had never heard the Harrowgate water compared to that mixture. 



Having staid here for some time contemplating the grandeur of 

 the object before us, our time passed away insensibly until we 

 found by our watches that it was high time we should turn our 

 backs upon the scene from which we had received so much 

 delight. On our return we employed ourselves in picking up a 

 kind of stone which is said to be the spray of the Fall petrified, 

 but whether it is or no, I will not pretend to determine ; this much 

 I can say, that it grows or forms itself in cavities in the clift 

 about half way to the top, from whence it falls from time to 

 time; its composition is a good deal like a piece of white marble 

 which has been burnt in the fire, so that it may be pulverized with 

 ease. Whatever may be its composition, it does not appear that 



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