FOURTH JOURNEY. 



221 



sprained foot under a fall of water, which discharges 

 six hundred and seventy thousand two hundred and 

 fifty-five tons per minute. A gentle purling stream 

 would have suited better. [Now, it would have become 

 Washington to have quenched his battle-thirst in the 

 fall of Niagara ; and there was something royal in the 

 idea of Cleopatra drinking pearl-vinegar, made from 

 the grandest pearl in Egypt ; and it became Caius 

 Marius to send word that he was sitting upon the ruins 

 of Carthage. Here, we have the person suited to the 

 thing, and the thing to the person. 



If, gentle reader, thou wouldst allow me to indulge 

 a little longer in this harmless pen-errantry, I would 

 tell thee, that I have had my ups and downs in life, as 

 well as other people ; for I have climbed to the point 

 of the conductor above the cross on the top of St. Peter's, 

 in Eome, and left my glove there. I have stood on one 

 foot, upon the Guardian Angel's head, on the castle of 

 St. Angelo ; and, as I have just told thee, I have been 

 low down under the fall of Niagara. But this is neither 

 here nor there ; let us proceed to something else. 



When the pain of my foot had become less violent, 

 and the swelling somewhat abated, I could not resist 

 the inclination I felt to go down to Ontario, and so on 

 to Montreal and Quebec, and take Lakes Champlain 

 and George in my way back to Albany. 



Just as I had made up my mind to it, a family from 

 the Bowling-green, in New York, who was going the 

 same route, politely invited me to join their party. 

 Nothing could be more fortunate. They were highly 

 accomplished. The young ladies sang delightfully ; 

 and all contributed their portion, to render the tour 

 pleasant and amusing. 



