1845.] across the Peninsula of Southern India 417 



from the chains of the giant Ghauts into the arms of his ocean -rescued* 

 Mistress— prolific Canara. 



As we threaded the tortuous path, the rushing sounds of the 

 rapids became clearly distinguishable from the shriller whistling of 

 the wind, and the pattering of the rain among the leaves and branches 

 of the trees. 



On a nearer approach this rushing sound was suddenly drowned 

 by the deep thunder, evidently of the Fall itself, which appeared to 

 proceed from a great depth beneath the ground on which we walked, 

 and which now was fairly felt to vibrate from the weighty shock. The 

 air too became palpably colder, a phenomenon doubtless caused by the 

 evaporation from the clouds of spray which canopy the Falls and ad- 

 jacent banks. 



Deceived by this sound, which still seemed afar off, into the ima- 

 gination that the river was yet at a considerable distance, we unex- 

 pectedly emerged from the thicket upon the rapid immediately above 

 the brink of the Falls, when the cause of this deception became evident ; 

 the din of the waters had been deadened by the peculiar shape, the 

 immense depth, and confined dimensions of the chasm into which 

 they were precipitated. Hence the ventrioloquism of the cataract. 



We now stood silent and astounded by the roar and rush : — amid 

 the grey clouds of mist and spray the arrowy waters of the rapid 

 were visible, divided into a multitude of currents by the rock masses 

 against which they tumultuously dashed in their impetuous progress 

 to the edge of the precipice. 



Here, as the eye and ear follow its course to the main Fall, the ra- 

 pid literally dies a sudden death ; its clamorous voice is abruptly si- 

 lenced, and it bodily disappears, as if by magic, in the bowels of the 

 earth, or into the region of moving mist which curtained the chasm 

 from the place we were standing on. 



After indulging a short time in this magnificent spectacle— a gem 

 set in lovely mountain and forest scenery — we scrambled over the 

 muddy and slippery shelves of rock towards the edge of the principal 

 Fall. The river was much swollen by the monsoon, but had been still 

 fuller, as shown by the bruised and shattered forest trees which had 



* The Brahmins have a tradition, that the sub-ghautine maritime tracts of the 

 Western Coast were raised from the ocean for their especial use. 



3 M 



