New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-06

To the broad column which rolls on, and shows
More like the fountain of an infant sea
Torn from the womb OF mountains by the throes
vi @ new world, than only thus 10 be
Parent of rivers. which flows gushing1v
With many windings through the vale:-Look
back
Lo where it comes like an eternity,
As il TO sweep down all things in its track,
Charming the eye with dread-a matchless cataract,
Horribly beautiful but on the verge
From side to side, beneath the gttterng morn.
An Iris sits, amidst the internal surge,
Like Hope upon death-bed, and, unworn
Its steady dyes, while all around is torn
By the distracted waters, bears serene
Its brilliant hues with all their beams unshorn;
Resembling, mid the the torture of the scene,
Love watching Madness with unalterable MEN,
will merely add by way of comment thatthls
description is stretched little. will say, how
ever, in Justice to Byron, that have ever found
Chde Harods descriptions faithful almost to
to the letter, except in this single instance, and
here excuse him on the ground that he had
never seen any cataracts, and hence was naturally
impressed beyond measure with the sublimity of
this really fine waterfall But the Infant sea-
he speaks of could throw my hat across, and the
eternity he thinks he sees rushing on is the
smallest probably most men will ever experience.
Yet the cataract is worth visit. The rapid
shoot Of the waters at the summit-the long head
long leap Of the torrent that is dashed into the
minutest particles of foam at the bottom, which
60 rising up like smoke over the face of the rock
the dizzy hight-the roar and the solitude, I'M
press the mind with awe and wonder; and then
the hidden and mysterious paths that lead to the
bottom-now burying you in the side of the hill,
and now carrying you to the very brink of some
precipice whose forehead is bathed In the fall
ing spray, keep you In state of constant excite
ment
The finest view, however, is from rock on the
opposite mountain. From this point you look
directly on the face of the cataract, and take IN
the whole at glance In gazing on this water
fall l was struck with the power of poetic ina
gination to mpersonate every thing Byron says
While the sweat
Oftheir great agony, wrung out from this
Their Phiegetlon, curs round the rocks OF JET" &c
And sure enough, there it is-the sweat of their
great agony The spray, condensing on the black
sides Of the rocks trickles down as if pressed out
of them by their torment, under the eternal shock
Of the falling cataract upon them. AS [ stood
gazing at this mad stream, breaking itself into
thousand fragments in its desperate leap, thun-
dcr-cloud slowly threw fold after fold over the
dwarf frs that fringed the top, till the heavy
masses seemed fairly to press their dark bosom
on the summit of the hill-while the roar Of the
blast and the low growl of the distant thunder,
minglng with the roar Of the cataract made it
scene of wild sublimity had missed the Iris
but was repaid by the storm. The day seemed
changing into night and | at length turned away
to find some place of shelter before the cloud
should burst over me. Descending, | met my
peppery Captain and his sweet daughter | had
no particular solicitude about the Captains skin,
but was anxious to save the little beauty from
the shower knew would soon be upon us. | be-
sought her to return, assuring her she would be
drenched if she proceeded. What" said she,
in voice like bird, is not that point of rock
| Just saw you sitting upon the best spot from
from which to view the cataract" Undoubtedly
madam: but if you attempt to reach 1t you Will
certainly be overtaken by the storm. g But l
must see it," she replied | urged her in vain to
desist, and was just on the point OF offering my
services, when wisely considering it would not
improve my personal appearance to get a thorough
drenching, nor make the rain any the less heavy
on her, concluded to let the wilful little creature
take her soaking alone.
l had scarcely reached our carriage before the
rain came down in solid masses took shelter
in curious looking hole, tenanted by an old bag
whose company was almost as bad as the mum
der storm stood and looked out on the diving
rain, and shrugged my shoulders as | thought OF
nv English Hotspur and his wife and daughter.
At length. tired Of waiting the motion OF the
storm. hired half of an umbrella for two Pauls'
and started off. and such wildcat rlde L never
took before. The driver whipped his horses INTO
dead run till the carriage spun Like top.
After we had fairly got home and down to ouF
tea the Captain and his family arrived. lie was
cool as cucumber, while the young autnoress'
drenched to the skin, crept demurely along LOOK
ing the very picture of desolatlon In few MN
u,es, however, the Captains blood was again up
and he came in suffering away about ievers' anu
acues. ct cetera that he feared would follow TINS
exposure. You must know an Italian Is nef-
vously afraid Of getting wet as in this climate 1t
induces fever.
So ends nv trip to Terni and the Cataract
Of yepo. 1t is singular that Terni and Ilvol,
,wo Of the finest waterfalls In Europe, should
both be artificial. The Romans made this cas-
cade by turning the waters of the Vehnus
from their original course, over thus PrecPi66ea
In this way they drained the rch plains OF hsu'
|, has been changed and modlhed muc n slhse'
according as the inundatlons OF the vaney o'-
manded il.