The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-01-22

listeners, as they mingled sadly with the
sound of the mighty fall.
The scene always produced on me the
associations of a temple. The tall and
moss-grown stems of the ancient trees
seemed TO stand like clustering columns
on every hand; their meeting tops formed
natural arches against the sky, while the
unceasing sound of the neighboring tor
rent, like the chorus Of natures hymn to
her Creator, chastened the spirit and "lif-
ed the soul to heaven"
| fingered on the spot tillla in the night,
the hours passing nsensibly away amidst
the delicious musings that came spontane-
ously and crowded fast upon the mind.
The sky, meanwhile, had gradually lost
the dim veil that shrouded it, and the clear
light of the moon fell in floods upon the
landscape, tipping the extreme branches
Of the trees with silver, and throwing their
recesses, by contrast, into still deeper
shade.
Lured on by this magic change, | de-
termined to leave the Island, and obtain
full view of the cataract by moonlight.
1 crossed the second bridge, which, thread
ing the edge of the precipice, leads the
visitor, by precarious and adventurous
path, from rock TO rock, over the rushing,
leaping, foaming waves Of the river, as
they are stranded and broken on the rough
bed of the stream on the verge Of the eat
aract, and conducts him to stone tower,
thirty feet in height, erected in the midst
Of these breakers, and commanding full
view of what is called "the horse shoe fall,
as we'll as Of the country around for many
miles. To every man who has soul for
nature, such an elevation, in the midst of
such scene: is beyond price: il doubles
the pleasure of a visit to the spot, and con-
fers on us, poor pedestrian creepers that
we are, delight have often envied to
the birds Of heaven, who can hang, poised
on thin, strong wings, over the sublmest
wonders of earth's surface. and, without
toll or danger, can scale those sublime
heights which must forever remain mac.
cessible to human tread. The tower had
then been but recently erected, by the good
taste, and, believe, at the personal ex-
pense, Of the proprietor of the vicinity,
the late amiable and lamented Peter b.
Porter.
| ascended the rude steps of this tower,
and found, above, a comfortable seat, Sc
cured from danger by strong iron hand
rail which ran round the summit, on which
one could lean, and contemplate, at ease,
and in perfect safety, one of the grandest
amphtheatres the world contains.
1t was now long past midnight. To the
South the sky was hidden by dense
black thunder-cloud, which covered the
horizon to great distance, threatening a
heavy storm. Just above its edge, which
was sharply and strongly defined against
the clear sky above, looked out the moon,
lifting her beautiful head, half veiled, like
the fair Queen Of Scots over the rugged
ramparts Of Fotheringay, as if taking de-
light in contemplating the sublime, yet
placid, scene. Below her, in that lurid
lowering bank of clouds, lightnings were
from time to time flashing out, mingling
their momentary fires with the pure, calm,
silver light that illuminated the whole face
of nature. 1t seemed an intrusion on the
stiffness which prevailed around, and which
was silently impressing its tranquilizing
power upon the soul. And when the NUT
tering thunder at length began to follow,
it came upon the ear like the first unwel-
come sound of cannon, after long-un.
broken peace. The moonlight seemed
brighter for the stormy cloud; the cloud;
seemed to frown more darkly for the peace
ful moonlight.
Here were two impressive features Of
nature, the more impressive for the mid
night hour, and the deep solitude around.
But how shall | tell how their effect was
heightened into the sublime by the awful
spectacle of the cataract, which lay in close
proximity before me, making the tower,
with the rocky foundation itself on which
it stood, tremble like leaf!
The horseshoe fall is so called from its
form. The face of the precipice on this
(the British) side of Niagara river, has
broken away till its outline somewhat re-
sembles horse shoe, the deep bend being
scooped out toward the south, and up the
course Of the stream. |, is here that the
chief body of the waters of the Upper
Lakes makes its way, in one tremendous
mass, down a perpendicular height of
more than seventy feet, into the rocky
basin below, from whence, after tumul-
tuous struggle, it hastes away toward its
embouchure into Lake Ontario.
Over this part Of the fall there rests, day
and night, cloud Of spray, which rises
when the atmosphere is serene, to great
height in the air, but is occasionally blown
aside for moment by strong wind. when
the awful body of the flood appears. ltis
seen bending, at first. over the brink Of
the chasm, in smooth, rounded, senior
cular sweep, (said 10 be more than thirty
feet in thickness,) but breaking immedi
ately below this CLASSY edge, into rich
white foam, that looks at distance, al