Niagara Falls 



1834 curtain before me like tempest-driven snow, but by momentary 

 Martmeau glances could see the crystal roof of this most wonderful of 

 Nature's palaces. The precise point where the flood left the 

 rock was marked by a gush of silvery light, which, of course, was 

 brighter where the waters were shooting forward than below 

 where they fell perpendicularly. There was light enough to 

 see one another's features by, and even to give a shadow to the 

 side of the projecting rock which barred our farther progress. 

 When we came within a few paces of this projection, our guide, 

 by a motion of his hand (for speaking was out of the ques- 

 tion), forbade my advancing farther. But it was no time and 

 place to be stopped by anything but impossibilities. I saw that 

 though there was no regular path on the other side of the guide, 

 there were two pieces of rock wide enough for my feet, by 

 standing on which I might touch the wall which limited our 

 walk. I made the guide press himself back against the rock, and 

 crossed between him and the caldron, and easily gained my 

 object — laying my hand on Termination Rock. When I 

 returned to my place Dr. F. passed both the guide and myself 

 for the same purpose. In returning my hat blew off, in spite of 

 all my efforts to hold it on. The guide put his upon my head, 

 and that was carried away in like manner. I ought to have 

 been instructed to tie it well on, for mere holding will not do in 

 a hurricane. It is a proof that we were well lighted in our cavern, 

 that we all saw the outline of a hat which was jammed between 

 two stones some way beneath us. The guide made for this, look- 

 ing just as if he were coolly walking down into destruction; for 

 the volumes of spray curled thickly up, as if eager to swallow 

 him. He grasped the hat, but found it too much beaten to pieces 

 to be of any use. 



Mrs. F. says we looked like three gliding ghosts when her 

 anxious eye first caught our forms moving behind the cloud. 

 She was glad enough to see us; for some one passing by had 

 made her expect us at least two minutes before we appeared. 

 Dripping at all points as we were, we scudded under the rocks 



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