Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-28
NIAGARA IN WINTER.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE NEW YORK COURIER.


NIAGARA FALLS, JANUARY 16, 1854.
Niagara in oil its glory Grand, sublime, imposing
it always is but it is more-i is radiant with beau
ty 1t not only awes, but it fascnates; it is not only
stupendous, but it is exquisite. He who has never seen
Niagara in midwnter has it in all its superb
ness The tourist knows it only in its sternest
aspect. Except that rainbow which spans the "hen
Of waters there is ordinarily not touch Of beauty
about Niagara Wildness there is ruggedness vastnes
yes, and overwhelming sublimity, sublimy incom-
parable Therein every other natural curiosity in either
hemisphere is tame beside it, The vastest mountains
cannot vie with it in effect, for it has, what they
have, movement; and magnitude in motion is always
impressive than magnitude at rest. But this
matched grandeur is combined with matchless
beauty The frost has wrought fairy work with the
grim old cataract. 1t has thrown about it garnure
that outshnes the wealth of Ormus the Ind Every
rock gtters and every stone every trunk every branch
every twg every gnared root and every withered blade
of The frozen spray has transfgured every thing
From the edge Of the food the foot of the precpce it
has sheeted the banks with the purest Parian. 1t has
hung the crags with cleaning ccles 1t has encrusted
the trees, both the eaess and the evergreen that
they stand out before you like chiseled emerald
This ncrustaon is nearly inch in thickness and yet
it marveousy preserves the form of the underlying
it, even down to the tip of the smallest twig And so
with the tangled bushes that skirt the brow Of the rock
nothing be more fantastic than their uxuriant
white nvolute tracery. The ground too entirely free
from snow whened over with this same cleaning coat
of FROST is put in keeping with the None who did
not behold it imagine the effect of the clear rays Of
yesterdays setting they glanced through the
spray which foated off to the Canadian side, and bur-
nshed with unearthy lustre the landscape that
hung the roaring gorge. Verify have the flower
ing time of Niagara.
There another winter effect Niagara which is worth
noticing The large quantity Of ice borne down from the
Lake is completely pulverized it plunges down the
abyss But, though disntegrated, it is dissolved
and the river short distance below is completely CO.
vered with its floating PARTICLES As it is hurried along
much of it gradually disappears in the turbulent torrent
but large portion reaches the whr below lewiston and
there floats about like thick snowy roth upon the sur
face 1t entirely covers the large basin, and presents
most extraordinary appearance as 1t is swept about at
the varying impulses of thousand and eddes
Till one has the whirlpool in this state he does not
half know the conflict of its waters Every movement is
made apparent There is certain cohesion in the tri
every impulse of the water beneath and you may see
field Of it. perhaps in extent, slowly swinging
around In direction, while within it. and form part
Of it, are patches borne along directions Diverse some
even turning in circuits directly opposite. This gyrating
coating covers the basin for it is rcpenished above as
rapidly as it crumbles off into the current below
There are very few strangers here The large hotels
oil closed the curiosity shops locked up the In
dians are ALTERNATING; the ferry boats are in winter
quarters and not the Ice King Joum would dare
venture behind the cataract now but still am bound to
say, if you would Niagara "arght" come and view
it in January. The "pale moonlight" doubt not, be-
Merose right royalty for all that Sir Walter who
for Niagara by winter, testify yet more posi-
lively Not in longlow poetry but in plain blunt prose
not by faith, but by sight can affirm that Niagaras
best days the shortest days. JRs