268 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : 
as serene as possible, and as the water wa,s 
perfectly smooth, it reflected in a most beauti¬ 
ful manner the images of the various objects 
on the shore, and of the numerous vessels 
dispersed along the river at different dis¬ 
tances, and which seemed to glide along, as 
it were, by the power of magic, for the sails 
all bung down loose and motionless. The 
sun, setting in all bis glory, added fresh beau 
ties to this calm and peaceable scene, and per¬ 
mitted us for the last time to behold the 
distant spires of New York, illumined by his 
parting rays. To describe all the grand and 
beautiful prospects presented to the view on 
passing along this noble river, would be an 
endless task; all the various effects that can be 
supposed to arise from a happy combination of 
wood and water, ofbill and dale, are here seen 
in the greatest perfection. In some places the 
river expands to the breadth of five or six 
miles, in others it narrows to that of a few 
hundred yards, and in various parts it is inter¬ 
spersed with islands; in some places again jfs 
course can be traced as far as the eye can 
reach, whilst in others it is suddenly lost to 
the view, as it winds between its lofty banks; 
here mountains covered with rocks and trees 
rise almost perpendicularly out of the water; 
there a fine champaign country presents itself, 
cultivated to the very margin of the river^ 
