Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-04-21
FALLS OF THE NIAGARA.
BIZ THE REV. MR.. GREFNwoon.

tings TO the heart, and haunts the memory. IL
the man OF tasle and imagination, and holds.
as Dy some indehnable spell, the affections Of
those who inhabit its boarders. - :
a waterfall, even a few feet in heirbt.
VIII enhven the dnllest scenery, and lend q
charm to the loyeliest; while hiph and head
long cataract has always been ranked among
the sHbhmest objects to be found IN the COM
pass OF the globe.-It is no matter Of sunrise
therefore, that lovers of nature nerform ionr'
neys othomage to that sovereign of cataracts
that monarch Of pouring floods the Falls of nj,
agara. 1t is no matter of surprise. that al
though situated in what might have been calf
ed, few years ago, but cannot be now. the
wllds OF North America, FIVE hundred miles
from the Atlantic coast, travellers from all ri
vllIzed parts of the world have. encountered all
The difficulties and fatgues of The path. TO he
hold this prince ofwater-falls amidst its ancient
solltudes, and that, more recently, the broad
highways to its Ldominions have been thronu
| ed. BY universal consent, it has lono sago
been proclaimed one of the wonders of the
world. 1t IS alone in its kind.-Thouoh a
waterfall, 1t Is not to be compared with other
waterfalls. In rs majesty, IFS supremacy, and
It's influence on the soul tof man, its brother
hood is with the living ocean and the eternal
hills. 1"'
am humbly conscious, that no words of
NINE can give an adequate description, or con-
Vey satisfactory idea, of Niagara Falls. But.
| having just returned from visit to them, with
the impression which they made upon my
mind fresh anddeep, may hope to impart, at
l9ast, lalnt image OF that impression, to the
MINDS OF those who have not seen them, and
retouch, perhaps, some fading traces in the
NxhO hoxro
Our journey over, we approach the falls. Int
turned aside to have near view ofthe RAPIDS.
Here all It's tulnult and impetuols haste. The
view IS something ike that of the sea in a vio-
lent gale.-ThoGsands OF waves dash eagerly
forward, and Indicate the interruptions which
they meet with from the hidden rocks, bv rido-
es and streaks offoam. Terminating this an
CRY picture, you distinguish the crescent rim
oil the British falls, over which tie torrent falls
and dlsappers. The wilderness and the soil
tude OF the scenes are strikingk impressive.
Nothng that lives Is to seen nits whole ex
tent. Nothing that values fits life ever ven
lures 1t there. The water refuses the burden OF
man. and OF mans works. OF his they give
lar and audible warning, of which all take
need. they have one engrossng object be-
lore them, and they 60 to lis accomplishment
| alone.
Returning TO the road, we ride the last half
mile, gradually ascending, till We come to the
| PuoIc mouse. toot-path through the gar
| den at the back OF the house, ard down staep
| and thckly-wooded bank, brings us upon Ia
| pie Rocks, flat ledge of limestone forming
me Drink OF the preclpice, the upper stratum of
which is Jagged shelf, no more than about
loot IN the thickness, jutting out over the gulf
below.
Here the whole scene breaks upon us.
Looking up the river, we face the grand cres
cent called tie British. or Horseshoe Fall.
! Opposite to Us Is Goat Island, which divides
the Falls, and lower down to the left, is the
American Fall. And what is he first impress
sion made upon the beholderl Decidedly, I
Should say, that of beauty; of sovereign beauty
1T IS true. bat stil let .f beauty, rather than of
| awful sublnity.
Every thing IS on so large scale; the height
OF the cataract is so much exceeded bv its
breath, and Sc much concealed by the volumes
OF mist which wrap and STROUD its feet: YOU
stand so directly on the same loveI with the
falling waters; you see SO large a portion of
them at considerable distance from YOU. and
their roar comes up so moderated from tie
deep abyss, that the loneliness of the scene, at
first sight, Is permitted TO take precedence of
its grandeur
Its colour alone is Of the most exquisite
KIND. The deep sea-green Of the center of the
crescent, where It is probable the greatest mass
ofwater falls, lit up with successive flashes of
foam, and contrasted with the rich creamy
Whteness CT the two sides or wings of the
same crescent; then the sober gray of the op-
poslte precipice of Goat Island, crowned with
the luxurlant foliage of It's forest trees, and
Al Af,u L..
SHOWS of the greater and less American Falls:
the agtaled and foamy surface of the water
at the bottom ofthe falls, followed by the dark
ness OF thar hue as they sweep along through
the perpendicular gorge beyond; the mist.
floating about and yelling objects with a soft
enng lndistnctness; and the bright rainbow
which is constant to the sun,-altogether from
a combination of colour, changing, too, with
every change of light, every variation of the
wind, and every hour of the day, which the
painters art cannot imiatate, and which Ma
ture herself, has, perhaps, only effected here
And the motion of these falls, how wonderfully
fine it Isl how gracefully, how stately, how
calm! There is nothing IN it hurried or head
long, as you might have supposed. The eye
is so long in measureing the vast, and vet I'M
acknowledged height, that they seem to move
over almost slowly; the central and most volu-
mnous portion of the Horseshoe even goes
down silently.
The truth is, that pompous phrases cannot
describe these Falls. Calm and deeply-mean-
ing words should alone be used in speaking of
them. Anything like hyperbole would de-
grade them, il they could be degraded. But
they cannot be. Neither the words nor the
deeds of man degrade or disturb them.
There they flow ever, in their collected
might. And dignifed, flowing steady, con-
stantly, as they always have been pouring
since they came from the hollow of His
hand, you can add nothing to them, nor can
you take anything from them.
As | rose, on the morning following my
arrival, and went to the window for an early
view, singular fear came over me that the
falls might have passed away, though their
sound were In my ears. 1t was, to be sure, ra-
thel the shadow offear than fear, and reason
dissipated it as soon as it was formed But the
bright things of earthare so apt to be fleeing,
and we are so liable to lose what is valued,
as soon as it is bestowed, that believe it was
a perfectly nature feeling which suggested to
me for an instant, that | had enjoyed quite as
much Of such glorious exhibition as | deser-
we'd, and that / had no right to expect that it
would continue, as long as | might be pleased
to behold it.
But the Falls were there, with their fun, re-
gular, and beautiful flowing. The clouds of
spray and mist were now dense and high, and
completely concealed the opposite shores, but
as the day advanced, and the beams of the sun
increased in power, they were thinned and
contracted. Presently thunder shower rose
up from the west, and passed directly over US;
and soon another came, still heavier than the
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