Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-07-11
lFrom the knickefbocker.
Rev. Mr. BascOlnb's sketch
Of the Great Cataract.
From the knickefbocker.

claiming To he a mere revelation OF persohal
Impression and private feeling, should Dc
Judged Of mainly in view of the minds pecu.
liar state IN giving IL birth. The annexed
! sketch. except the last paragraph, was writ
ten upon an angle of liable Rock at the
instance, and for the exclusive qualification
I of friend, and without any, the most remote
/ reference To pubIco,on then or subsequent.
lv. II was produced under the influence OF
high wrought feeling, and does little more
| than reveal the hearts mythology, IN presence
I Of one of the most fearful manifestations OF
/, the power aud grandeur of physical nature.
If the feeling which gave birlI 10 The rag
mcnl you have asked for publication be
responded to by the reader, have nothing
to regret, and nothing farther To hope for.
J., "Very truly aud sincerely,
all. b. BASCOM.
".Nu York, EeJ. l63D"
Ny DEAR E--:--l hacc seen, survey
ed, aud cnDnuncd with the whole! and,
awcd and bcwildcred, as If enchanted before
The rcvcalmcnt of a mystery, attempt Ia
write. You ask me in your last for some
detailed, vcrllable account OF the falls, ana
should be glad to crafty you but how shall
! essay To paint scene that so utterly babies
all conception, and rcndc Rs worse than fruit
minutes after my arrival, OF the evening OF
the fifth, | descended the winding path from
the Pavilion" on The Canadian side, and Tor
the first time in my life saw this unequallcd
cascade from "Tablc Rock !" the whole in
dcscribable sccnc, IN bold outline, bursting
/ on my view At once. heard aud read much,
aud imanlncd more, of what was before me-.
| was perfectly familiar with the often told.
/ the far.iravclled story of what saw but the
ovcrpowlng reality OH which was gazing,
! motonlcss as the rock on which | stood,
deprived me of recollection, annihlatcd all
curiosity, and with the emotions of subIlmiiy,
I'LL now nnlclt, aud all unearthly, the invo'-
unt,ry exclamation escaped me, God "
GRANDEUR rhdt q scene
But the majesty Of the sight, and the inter-
5 est of the moment how dep CT them? Tho
huge amplitude of water, tumbling in foam
e above, and dashlng on, archcd and pI'larrd
y as ii glldcs, until it reaches the prcciplcc of
/; the chute, and then, IN one vost column,
Q bounding, with maddenng roar aud rush,into
t the depths beneath, presents spectacle so
unutteraby appalling, that language falters {;
words arc no longer signs, and despair giv-
inc you any adequate idea Of Whist saw and
; felt. Yet this is not all. The eye and the
mind necessarily take IN other objects, as
parts of the grand panorama; forests, ellis,
and Islands banks, foam, and spray wood,
rock aud prccipicc, dlu,mcd with the rising
fg aud mist and obscurcy gIldrd by tho
sotcnnc iints Of the rainbow: These all be-
long 10 the picture I; and the effect of the
whole is UNNECESSARILY heightened by the
noise of the cataract, now reminding you of
the rcvcrbcra,ions of the heavens IN tctn.
pest, and then Of the eternal roar VI ocean,
VIII, u angcrcd by the winds
t,fAI.
, waller falls some two hundred feet, into the
almost boundless reservoir beneath, IN the
It section of a circle, which Mt first sight from
y Table Rock, presents something like the
o ceomc,rcal curve Of the rainbow (; and the
wonders Of the grand crescent" thus ad-
o vantagcously thrown upon the eye IN combl-
), nation, and the appropriate sensations and
boom of the waters, render the sight more
;, surprisingly sublime than any thing have
{ ever looked upon or conceived of As II re-
CARDS my thoughts and feelings at the time,
! can help you io.no conception OF theIr CHAR"
ac,cr. Overwhelming astonshment.waS the
: ouly bond between thought and thought ;and
wild, and vague, and boundless, were the as
sociatons of the hour! Before Inc The
strength and iulness Of the congrcgatcd
lakes of the north" were enthroD' u aud
conc entratcd, within a circumference embra-
ced by single glance Of the eye! Here
saw, rolling and dashlug at the rate Of t,ccnty
fire hundred millions Of tons per day. nearly
one half VI all the fresh water upon the sur.
: face of the globe
) On the American side- beheld vast del
ucr, nine hundred feet IN breadth, with q fall
of one hundred and eighty or ninety, met
iy feet above the level Of the guilt, by a
, huge projection of the rock, which seems to
break the dcscCpt and continuity Of the Hood,
only tu increase It's fierce and overwhelming
bound. And turning to the "crescent," l
saw the mingled rush Of foam and tide, DASH
INC with fearful strife aud desperate emua
,on-four hundred yards of the sheet rough
aud sparry, and the remaining three hundred
deep sea like mass OF living green-rolling
and hravinp like sheet Of emerald. Even
Imagination failed me- and could thlnk OF
moth NJ but ocean let loose from hls bid and
T. seeking n deeper gulf below! The iury oi
l. the water at the termination OF ltS lai'' com
blned with the coluinned strength oI 'no
cataract. and the denfening thunder oi inc
food, are at once inconceiVao'e eno "ue-
scr,babc. No Imagination, however crea-
Two. can correspond " Ilh the grandeur OF the
reality.
have already mentioned, and II ~ iWPor-
\, ,,nt that you keep IL IN view, the ledge ~
r The rock the verge Of the cataract, rising like
Il a wall of equal height, and extended m sent
# circular firm across the whole bed of the
river. distance Of more than two thousand
:, feet. and the inpetuous food, conforming IN
!, th,s arrangement, in making ITS plunge, with
mountain weight, into the great horse. shoe
BASIN beneath. exhibits n spectacle OF the
sublime, in geographical scenery, vi hou
perhaps n parallel IN nature. AS ! Leaned
over The Table Rock. and cast my eye down
ward upon the blllowy turbulence Of 'h'
angry depth. where the waters, tossing sn'
IS wmrlIug, coIIng and sprlnging, with the en-
lr ergy OF an earthquake aud rapIdIiy ilst sl
" mos, shocked my vision, found the scep
sufficient to appsl o s,erner spirit than mine
aud was glad 10 turn awoy and relieve o.,
mind BY a sight Of tho surrounding scenery
- bsys. islands, shores. md fofesf.evey wnsr'