The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-07-06

4
nish son,ew hat from the awiulness al the
scene. and % give il an aspect OF rich and
mellow gran2eur, not unlike the bow of pro-
mise, throwing lis assuring radiance over the
retiring waters oi The deluse.
The rapids,n which commence nearly
mile above the cataract, and sparkling in the
am. spread out like sea Of diamonds, seem
| admiralty 10 give nn,ice of what awaits below;
| and when examined from position on Goat
1 island. become extremely interesting, from
,he dash and foam OF tho broken food, the
! noise which, distinct from that Of the great
| fan. would remind you of the murmurs Ut an
| Alpine forest, in The rising ell OF the coming
Storm In crossing the river below the falls
| YOU have one OF the richest views oi the whole
cascade that can possibly be irlniglned, and The
rising bank and messy rock, the lofty trees
and luSuriant shrubbery on either side, are m
fine keeping with the scene, and are essential
10 the unity and completeness oil the picture.
BIZ, what most interested the here was the
tunull,lalIs tossing aud nhirng OF the water,
where its depth must he more than Two hun
tlrcd Feet and lis width al least seven hundred
Yards The whole mass seems tn be hra,lng
1 ilh ini,,riaie life. A thousand counter cur
rents aud eddIes meet, break and mingle, IN
the general "tnrrept and whirlMiud" OF the
water Within circumference of two or
| three hundred yards, near The American shore,
! this singular action of the element gives the
4 water an elevation from five To seven feet
! above the ordinary level and the strong con-
! flctng currents are seen tossing and strug
cling with volcanic iorce like the Adriatic
turned up from the bottom by tempest.
But the most appalling combination OF
won Ter and awe was felt when, after de-
scendng The spiral staircase at Table Rock,
passed under The great falling sheet Di-
vesting myself Of the most burdensome part
Of my clothes. and girding an oil cloth mantle
about me, with hood Tor the protection OF
the head. | entered the hollow space, half
luminous, half obscure, between the project
ing rock and The bounhless mass ol water
pouring over in arch, like a sea of molten
lead In this way proceeded one hundred
and fifty or sixty feet, to Termination Rock"
point heyoni which no human being has
ever penetrated, and here, amid tempest OF
wind and spray, almost depri,ing me oil res
piration. paused TO look up aud around, am ed
and aeilated BY the stirring grandeur and
sonbre mysteriousness of all could hear
or see.
The edge Of the. precipce over which the
water falls is a projection OF about fifty feet
over the base where sond After remain
ing here for several minutes, and selecting
some pebbles from the path at my feet, with
an Increased sense Of danger, effected my
retreat, sincerely thankful that had not pur-
chased the qualification Of ny curiosity with
the loss Of my life. | spent four days and
nights, with The exception of few hours Tor
resi-, in the examination Of the falls, aud IN
solitude with The majesty Of the engrossng
scene-a majesty all its own--unlyped and
,inshdowed by aught have ever seen be-
fore; and having surveyed the grand object
of my visit from nearly hundred different
points nf view. | was more Than satisfied that
the cataract of Niagara is wonder IN nd
ture, wholly unique in its kind, and aiinrdins
a rich il not M unequaled harvest OF interest
and observation 10 every behnlder. Indeed,
nature seems to have done her work here in
a mond, and upon scale Of the most creative
prudgaIiiy; consulting alike, as the pagan
poet would say, her own amusement, aud
the admiration Of man"
Nv last look at the falls was night view
| from the upper portico Of the Pavilion; the
brilliant lamps and mooned loveliness OF an
autinna heaven adding to The splend0r of
the vision. From this poin'. amid the tre,,,u-
lous shaking "i tie earth. and the heavens in
silent communion with the mighty cataract,
the eye takes a more extended range-the
most magnificent "f prospects. The whole
scenery. diversified and yet one, is spread out
before yoa in living beauty and picturesque
IN jesty. You see the plains and ioe.sis
abore. the cliffs, and rocks and islands around;
the dreadful precipcr. and the bold sweep of
the watery mass, while the fall Of the vast
| pervading column strikes your ear like the
thunder chorus of the "vas'y deep" warning
with its bounds
felt about me heari.reachng. spirit
stirring influence, that detained me till mid
night; and when retired latigued and ex-
halls'ed, and threw myself upon my pillow 1t
was only to feel the mnre intensely the power
and expression, the oneness, the depth, the
nameless grandeur of the scene; and ear
and thought still linger to catch and com
muue with the far-oH chidings.of the food,
MS they walled to the one the requiem OF de-
parted wa,ers, and murmured to the other the
melancholy dirge OF their passing away.
Cataract Of Niagara. Sept 9. IS.
GOOD TEMPER.