120 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA ! 
persons, on coming here for the first time, 
can for some moments collect themselves suf¬ 
ficiently to be able to form any tolerable con¬ 
ception of the stupendous scene before them. 
It is impossible for the eye to embrace the 
whole of it at once ; it must gradually make 
itself acquainted, in the first place with the 
component parts of the scene, each one of 
which is in itself an object of wonder ; and 
such a length of time does this operation re¬ 
quire, that many of those who have had an op¬ 
portunity of contemplating the scene at their 
leisure, for years together, have thought that 
every time they haVe- beheld it, each part has 
appeared more wonderful and more sublime, 
and that it has only been at the time of their 
last visit that they have been able to discover 
all the grandeur of the cataract. 
. 1 
Having spent a considerable time on the 
Table Rock, we returned to the fields the same 
way by which we held descended, pursuant to 
the direction of the officer of engineers ac¬ 
companying us, who was intimately acquainted 
with, every part of the cataract, and of the' 
adjoining ground, and was, perhaps, the best 
• guide that could be procured in the whole 
country. It would he possible to pursue your 
way along the edge of the cliff, from the Table 
Rock, a considerable way downwards; but the 
