I 



1859.] NIAGARA. MONTREAL. 223 



On his way, he made a third visit to Niagara, which he enjoyed 

 even more than the previous ones. It was the very perfection 

 of a day. There was less water and impetuosity of current 

 than when he saw it in the spring : the river was then muddy; 

 now " the water of the Fall was of the most delicate transparent 

 emerald green, shading off into the whitest of brilliant foam : 

 the waters below of a dark turbid green, showing great depth. 

 The banks had the richest contrasts of colour with the dark pines 

 and the rich tints of the changing trees, ending in the gorgeous 

 crimson of the maple." He went on the steamer " The Maid of 

 the Mist " to the foot of the Falls : opposite the American Fall, 

 "you look upon the wall of water, half-way up the sky, with a 

 very irregular margin at the top, and the brown rocks at the 

 bottom half-hidden in the clouds, the land on each side hidden ; 

 so that you only see the water-wall, some cloudy sky, and the 

 water. But there was an entirely unexpected sight : the water 

 was fairly on fire — just like the pictures one sees of the prairie 

 on fire. It was really the red and yellow part of the rainbow 

 on the mist, which for some reason did not touch the water, 

 being absorbed, I presume, by the cloud ; but it appeared as if 

 the water was sending out volumes of flame and smoke. It 

 was a most magnificent spectacle." 



He intensely enjoyed his sail to Montreal on the St. Law- 

 rence, " the Queen of Beauty," with the Thousand Islands, 

 and the Rapids, and the autumnal glories. At Montreal, he 

 took some of his fellow-passengers to his favourite point on the 

 Mountain, " where from out of a beautiful framework of forest 

 we saw the exquisite prospect. . . . The distant mountains, 

 the vast prairie studded with its villages, the immense flood of 

 the river, with the islands and necklace-looking bridge, and the 

 Queen-City with its churches and silver roofs, interspersed with 

 autumn foliage, formed a spectacle not only the most varied in 

 its beauty I have ever seen, but passing anything I could have 

 imagined." He longed for us to have one view of this glorious 

 country, where he almost seemed naturalized already. He 

 was cordially welcomed by friends at Montreal ; among others, 

 by Dr. Dawson, with whom he worked till past midnight at the 



