Niagara Falls 



1865 odoured eating-room swung a feeble lamp: it was quite unreason- 

 Russell a kj e to SU pp 0Se t na t an y one could be hungry at such an hour, 

 and we went to bed with the nourishment supplied by an anticipa- 

 tion of feasting on scenery. All through the night the door and 

 window-frames kept up the drum-like roll to the grand music 

 far away. 



We woke up early. What evil fortune! Rain! fog! thaw! 

 — the snow melting fast in the dark air. But were we not 

 " bound" to see the Falls? So after breakfast, and ample sup- 

 plies of coarse food, we started in a vehicle driven by the trapper 

 of the night before. He turned out to be a'very intelligent, shrewd 

 American, who had knocked about a good deal in the States, 

 and knew men and manners in a larger field than Ulysses ever 

 wandered over. 



The aspect of the American city in winter time is decidedly 

 quite the reverse of attractive, but there was a far larger fixed 

 population than we expected to have seen, and the fame of our 

 arrival had gone abroad, so that there was a small assemblage 

 round the stove in the bar-room and in the passage to see us 

 start. I don't mean to see us in particular, but to stare at any 

 three strangers who turned up so suspicionsly and unexpectedly 

 at this season. The walls of the room in the hotel were covered 

 with placards, offering large bounties and liberal inducements to 

 recruits for the local regiment of volunteers; and I was told that 

 a great number of men had gone for the war after the season 

 had concluded — but Abolition is by no means popular in 

 Niagara. 



It was resolved that we should drive round to the British side 

 by the Suspension Bridge, a couple of miles below, as the best 

 way of inducting my companions into the wonders of the Falls; 

 and I prepared myself for a great surprise in the difference 

 between the character of the scene in winter and in summer. 



For some time the road runs on a low level below the river 

 bank, and does not permit of a sight of the cataract. The 

 wooden huts of the Irish squatters looked more squalid and 

 miserable than they were when I saw them last year — won- 



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