Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-06-15
Although the noise exceeded by

Tar the extr vaganCe III Hy ant'cipa
tions, kwas in some degree prepared
Tor this. expected, too, the loss OF
breath from the compression of the
air, fhough not the suffocation of the
spray; but the wind, the violence OF
the wind exceeding, as | thought, in
swiffness and power the most desc
lating hurrricane-how came the
wihd therei There, tuo, in such
violence and variety, AZ If it were
the cave of Eolus in rebellion. One
would think that the river above,
fearful of the precipice to which it
was rushing, in the folly of its des-
pration. had Sc zcd with giant arms
upon the upper air. and in its hall
way course abandoned it in agony.
We now came opposite part of
the sheet, which was thinner, and o.
course ghter. rhe guide stopped.
and pointed upward---i lookrd--and
beheld the smn, '.siiorn nf his beams"
indeed, and so qnenched with the
multitudinous waves, that his faint
rays shed but pale and silsery hue
upon the dragged aud ever humid
walls Of the cavern.
Nothing can be looked at steadily
beneath Niagara. The baud must
Constantly guard the eyes against
the showers which are fore ed from
the main body OF the fall, and the
head must Constantly be aver'ed tr'"m
a stead. position, to escape the sud
den and vehement blasts of Wind
One is continually exposed to the
sudden rising Of the spray. which
burst up like smoke from a furnace.
ill it fills the whole cavern, d then.
condensed with the rapidit, of steam.
is precipitated in rain; in addition to
which, there is no support but fakes
of the rock. which are constantly
dropping off, and nothing to stand on
hut bauk of loose stones covered
with nnnMne,able eels.
Still there are moments when the
Eye, at one glance. can catch a
glimpse of this magnificent salaon.
On one side the enormous ribs of
the precipice arch themselves With
gothic grandeur more than 100 feet
above our beads, with a rottenness
more threatening than the waters
under which they groan. From
their summit is projected, with incal-
cuIablr intensity, siiyery food. in
which the sun seems to dance like a
FREELY. Beneath, is chasm Of
death, as an anvil upon which the
hammers of the cataract beat with
unsparing and remorseless might; an
abyss of wrath. where the hea, e,t
damnation might find new tornie"i
and howl unheard.
We had now penetrated to the in
most recess. A pillar OF the preci.
pice juts directly cut into TIE sheet,
and beyond it no human footstep e.
yer reaches, bu. to immediate ami
hiIation. The distance from the edge
of the falls, To the rock which ar
rests our progress, is said to be for
ty five feet, but | do not think this
has ever been accurately asceitain-
ed. The arch under which We pass
ed, is evidently undergoing a rapid
decay at the bottom. while the top,
UNIV asted. juts out like the leaf of a
table. Consequently, fall must
happen. and, Judging from its APP
pearance, may he expected every
day; and this is probably the only
zeal danger in gong beneath the
sheet. We passed to our temporary
home. through the valley which
skirts the upper stream. among gid
ed clouds, and rainbows, and wild
flowers, and felt that we had expe-
rienced a contamination of curiosity;
that We had looked upon that. than
which earth conld offer nothing to
the eye or heart oi man more awful
or magnificent. W. d.