882 
GIGANTIC FISSURE. 
On the left of tho island wo see the water at the bottom, 
s white rolling mass moving away to the prolongation of 
the fissure, which branches off near the loft bank of the 
river. A piece of the rock has fallen off a spot on the loft 
of tho island, and juts out from the water below, and from 
it I judged the distance which tho water falls to bo about 
ono hundred feet. Tho walls of this gigantic crack are 
perpendicular, and composed of ono homogeneous mass of 
rock. Tho edge of that side over which tho water falls is 
worn off two or three foot, and pieces have fallen away, so 
as to give it somowhat of a serrated appearance. That 
ovor which tho water doos not fall is quite straight, oveopt 
at the left corner, whoro a rent appears and a piece seems 
inclined to fall off. Upon tho whole, it is nearly in tho 
stato in which it was loft at tho poriod of its formation. 
The rock is dark brown in color, except about ten foot from 
the bottom, which is discolored by tho annual rise of the 
water to that or a greater height. On the left side of tho 
island we havo a good view of tho mass of water which 
causes one of tho columns of vapor to ascend, as it leaps 
quito clear of the rock, and forms a thick unbroken flooce 
all the way to tho bottom. Its whiteness gave the idea of 
snow, a sight I had not seen for many a day. As it broko 
into (if I may uso tho torm) pieces of water all rushing on 
in tho same direction, each gavo off several rays of foam, 
exactly as bits of steel, whon burned in oxygen gas, give 
off rays of sparks. Tho snow-white sheet seemed like 
myriads of small comots rushing on in ono direction, each 
of which loft bohind its nuclous-rays of foam. I never saw 
tho appoarance roferrod to noticed elsowhoro. It soeraod 
to be the effect of the mass of water leaping at once deal 
of tho rock and but slowly breaking up into spray. 
I have mentioned that we saw five columns of vapo' 
ascending from this strango abyss. They are evidently 
formed by the compression suffered by tho force of the 
water’s own fall into an unyielding wodgo-shapod space. 
Of the five oolumns, two on the right and ono on the loft of 
