Travelers' Original Accounts Since 1840 



upon him, of a cavern deep, below roaring seas, in which the 1858-61 

 waves are there, though they do not enter in upon him ; or rather, r0 ope 

 not the waves, but the very bowels of the ocean. He will feel 

 as though the floods surrounded him, coming and going with their 

 wild sounds, and he will hardly recognize that though among 

 them he is not in them. And they, as they fall with a continual 

 roar, not hurting the ear, but musical withal, will seem to move 

 as the vast ocean waters may perhaps move in their internal 

 currents. He will lose the sense of one continued descent, and 

 think that they are passing round him in their appointed courses. 

 The broken spray that rises from the depths below, rises so 

 strongly, so palpably, so rapidly, that the motion in every direc- 

 tion will seem equal. And, as he looks on, strange colours will 

 show themselves through the mist ; the shades of grey will become 

 green or blue, with ever and anon a flash of white; and then, 

 when some gust of wind blows in with greater violence, the sea- 

 girt cavern will become all dark and black. Oh, my friend, let 

 there be no one there to speak to thee then ; no, not even a brother. 

 As you stand there speak only to the waters. 



1861 



Kohl, J. G. Travels in Canada, and through the states of New York 1861 

 and Pennsylvania. Tr. by Mrs. Percy Sinnett. Rev. by the author. 

 Lond.: Manwaring. 1861. 2:128-178. 



The author spent five days at the Falls, saw everything, and gave a 

 splendid account of his visit with sane descriptions written in an easy, 

 interesting style. He writes of the early accounts of the Falls, dis- 

 paraging Hennepin, and discussing the claims for discovery advanced 

 for Champlain, Breboeuf and La Salle. He devotes considerable space 

 to his conclusions regarding the natural features, the sound, the atmos- 

 pheric conditions, and the psychological effect and fascination of the Falls, 

 and gives various interesting anecdotes, notably one of a slave found by 

 his southern master employed as a waiter in a Niagara hotel. He picked 

 out the most important things, and was evidently a close observer and inves- 

 tigator, with a proper sense of values. 



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