Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-07-11
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY ii, 1888.

sheet. Diyesting myself Of the most bur
thenscme part of my clothes, and girdins
an oil.cloth mantle about me, with a hoos
for the protection of the head, | entered
the hollow space, half luminous, half OBJ,
scufe, between the projecting rock ant
the boundless mass Of water pouring owe
IN arch, like a sea of molten lead. r.
this way | proceeded one hundred and fc
~ or sixty feet, to determination Rock
a point which no human beng has ever
penetrated, and here, amid a tempest o.
wind and spray, almost depriving me oil
respiration, | paused to look up and around,
awed and agltated by the stirring gran
deur and sombre mysteriousness of all |
could hear or see.
The edge Of the precipice over which
the water falls, is a projection ofabout fc-
~ feet over the base where | stood. AZ
ter remaining here for several minutes,
and selecting some pebbles from the path
at my feet, with an increased sense ofdan-
ger, ! effected my retreat, sincerely thank
iul that had not purchased the era,if-
cation oil my curiosity with the loss oil
my hie. | spent four days and nights,
with the exception ola few hours for rest,
in the examination of the falls, and in
solitude with the majesty Of the engros.
sing scene-a majesty all its own-unty-
ped and unshadowed by aught | had ever
seen before and having surveyed the
grand object Of my visit from nearly a
hundred different points of view, | was
more thar satisfied, that the cataract OF
Niagara is a wonder in nature, wholly
unique IN lis kind, and afiording a rich,
il not an unequalled harvest of interest
and observation to every beholder. In.
deed nature seems to have done her work
here IN a mood and upon a scale of the
most creative prodigallty; consulting alike,
as the Pagan poet would say, "her own
amusement and the admiration of man."
My last look at the falls was q night
view from the upper portico of the Pavili-
on the brilliant lamps and mooned love.
liness OF an auiumnal heaven adding to
the splendor Of the vision. From this
point, amid the tremulous shaking of the
earth and the heavens in silent COMMUNE
on with The mighty cataract, the eye takes
a more extended range-the most magni-
icent Of prospects. The whole scenery,
diversified and yet one, is spread out be-
fore you in living beauty and picturesque
majesty. You see the plains and forests
above, the cliffs, and rocks and islands
arounj the dreadful procipice, and the
bold sweep Of the watery mass, while the
fall ofihe vnst pefyadiug column strikes
your ear, like the thunder chorus OF the
vastly Deep" warning with its bounds
| felt about me a heart reaching, n spi-
rit.siirrng influence, that detained me till
midnight; and when | retired, fatigued
and exhausted, and threw my self upon
my pillow, it was only to feel the more
intensely, the power and expression, the
oneness, the depth, the nameless grandeur
OF the scene and ear and thought still
lInger to catch and commune with the far.
off chidings of the flood, as they walled
to the one the requiem ofdeparted waters,
and murmured TO the other the melancho.
ly dlrge of their passing away!
Cataract Of Niagara, Sept. o, 1s-.