258 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



high, quite perpendicular, and in some 

 places only a few yards apart. The river 

 precipitates itself into it over a rock, form- 

 ing two magnificent and picturesque falls 

 close to each other. The upper fall is 

 about sixty feet high, and the lower one at 

 least one hundred ; but perhaps consider- 

 ably more, for the narrowness of the chasm 

 into which it fell prevented us from seeing 

 its bottom, and we could merely discern the 

 top of the spray far beneath our feet. The 

 lower fall is divided into two, by an insu- 

 lated column of rock which rises about 

 forty feet above it. The whole descent of 

 the river at this place probably exceeds 

 two hundred and fifty feet. The rock is 

 very fine felspathose sandstone. It has 

 a smooth surface and a light red colour. I 

 have named these magnificent cascades 

 " Wilberforce Falls," as a tribute of my 

 respect for that distinguished philanthropist 

 and Christian. Messrs. Back and Hood 

 took beautiful sketches of this majestic 

 scene. 



The river being surveyed from the sum- 



