Niagara Falls 



1807 and, as for his part, he had seen as much as he carecf for." I 

 was at length under the necessity of descending alone, and had 

 already gone about half the way, when I found the poor ladder, 

 by some accident or other, had lost four of its rounds; this cir- 

 cumstance, added to its constant tremulous motion, did not render 

 my situation a whit more pleasing; so making one more effort to 

 reach the yet distant step, and finding it impossible, without 

 sliding down the side of the ladder, and recollecting at the same 

 moment that I could not slide up again, I determined to ascend, 

 and wait until I could provide a rope to support myself with. 

 Having at length procured one from a neighbouring house, I 

 descended, without much difficulty, to the bottom of the ladder. 

 The remaining height is comparatively easy; but, winding over 

 sharp and rugged fragments of rocks, it requires some caution 

 and a sure foot to avoid a fall, which, probably, would be 

 attended with some serious accident. 



This ladder is placed about half a mile below the falls, the 

 whole of which distance, after descending the ladder, you have to 

 walk over sharp pointed fragments of rocks, which occasionally 

 break off from the projecting precipices above, particularly 

 towards spring, when the thaws commence. Our guide pointed 

 out to us a huge mass which had fallen since he was here last, 

 which was very evident, as the fresh earth and leaves still adhered 

 to the fragments in many places. In approaching the falls from 

 these lower regions, you soon perceive the vast difference between 

 the noise here and above; and although it may be said that you 

 see the falls from above, yet it certainly is below where you hear 

 them. From above you indeed hear a great roaring noise, yet it 

 has the resemblance of being at some considerable distance ; but, 

 when once you approach from below, your ears seem gradually 

 to lose all sense of hearing, and for some minutes you are doubtful 

 whether you really possess that faculty or not. The first invol- 

 untary motion of the eye, after taking a hasty view of the falling 

 sheet, and the violent agitation of the rebounding waters, as you 

 approach the falls, is to trace the excavated and projecting point 



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