426 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
ward in the line of its courfe, raifing a wave, or violent 
ebullition, by chafling againift each other. 
Jerome Logo pretends, that he has fat under the curve, 
orarch, made by the projectile force of the water rufhing 
over the precipice. He fays he fat calmly at the foot of it, 
and looking through the curve of the ftream, as. it was fall- 
ing, faw a number of rainbows of inconceivable beauty in 
this extraordinary prifm. This however I, without hefita~. 
tion, aver to be adownright falfehood. A deep pool of wa- 
ter, as I mentioned, reaches to the very foot of the rock,and 
iS In perpetual agitation. Now, allowing that there was a 
feat, or bench, which there is not, inthe middle of the. 
pool, I do believe it abfolutely impoffible, by any exertion 
of human. ftrength, to have arrived at it. Although a very: 
robuft man, in the prime and vigour of life; and a hardy, 
practifed, indefatigable {wimmer, I.am perfectly confident L 
could not have got to that feat from the fhore through the 
quieteft part of that bafon. And, fuppofing the friar placed. 
in his imaginary feat under the curve of that immenfe arch. 
of water, he: muft have had a portion of firmnefs, more than. 
falls to the fhare of ordinary. men, and which is not likely; 
to be acquired in a monattic life, to philofophife upon op- 
vics in fuch a. fituation, where every thing would feem to 
his dazzled eyes. to be in motion, and the ftream, in a noife 
like the loudeft thunder, to make the folid rock (at leaft as. 
to fenfe) fhake toits very foundation, and threaten to tear: 
every nerve to pieces, and to deprive one of other fenfes be-_ 
fides that of hearing. It was a moft magnificent fight, that 
ages, added to the greateft length of human life, would not 
deface -or eradicate from my memory; it ftruck me with a 
kind of ftupor, and a total. oblivion of where I was, and. of 
3: Mae every. 
