The Sierra citizen., 1854-03-25
No. T..
Niagara in Winter.

A correspondent of the New York
Courier and Enquirer, writing from
Niagara Falls, on the 10th ult., thus des-
cribes the winter aspects of Niagara:
Niagara is in all its glory. Grand,
sublime, imposing. it always is-but now
it is radiant with beauty. It not only
awes but it fascinates, it is not only stu
pendous, but it is isexquisite. He who has
never seen Niagara in mid winter, has
never seen it in all its superbness. The
summer tourist knows it only in its ster-
nest aspect Except that rainbow which
ever spans the hell of waters" there is
ordinarily not one touch Of beauty about
Niagara. Wildness there is, ruggedness,
vastness-yet, and an overwhelming sub
Unity, q suhimity comparable. There
in 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 cannot haye-movement
and magnitude in motion is always moro
impressive than magnitude at rest. But
this unmatched grandeur is now combined
with as matchless beauty. The frost
has wrought fairy work with the grim
Old cataract.
1t has thrown about it a garniture that
outshines the wealth 'of Ormus or the Ind"
Every rock glitters aud every stone, every
trunk, every branch, every twig, every
gnarled root, and every withered blade Of
grass. The frozen spray has transfgured
everything. From the edge of the flood
to the foot of the precipice, it has sheeted
the banks with the purest Parian. 1t has
hung the cragS with cleaning icicles. 1t
has encrusted the trees, both the leafess
and the evergreen, so that they stand out
before you like chiseled emerald. This
incrnstatien is nearly an inch in thickness
and yet it marvelously preserves the form
of every portion Of the tree 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 can be
more fantastic than their luxuriant snow
white, involute trace. The ground, too,
entirely free from snow, whitened Ger
with this same cleaning coat of frost, is
but in keeping with the scene None
who did not behold it, can imagine the
effect of the clear rays of yesterdays
setting sun, as they glanced through tho
spray which hoated off to the Canadian
side, and FURNISHED with an unearthly
lustre the landscape that overhung the
roaring gorge. Verify, have seen the
Towering time Of Niagara.
There is another winter effect on Mag
ara which is worth noticing. The large
quantity of ice borne down from the Lake
is completely pulverized as it plunges down
the abyss But, though disintegrated, it
is not dissolved, and the river short dis
tance below is completely covered with its
floating particles. AS it is hurried along,
much Of it gradually disappears in the
turbulent torrent, but large portion
reaches the whir below Lewiston, and
there floats about like thick snowy froth-
upon the surface. 1t entirely covers the
large basin and present a most extraordi-
nary appearance, as it is swept about at
the varying impulses Of a thousand currents
and eddies. Till one has seen the whirlpool
in this state he does not half know the con-
aict its waters. Every movement is made
apparent. There is o certain cohesion in
the triturated ice, but it is so slight that it
readily yields at every impulse Of the
water beneath; and you may see field of
it, perhaps an acre in extent, slowly swing
ing around in one direction, while within it
and forming part OF it are patches borne
along in directions diverse, some even
turning in circuits directly opposite. This
gyrating coating covers the basin, for it is
replenished above as rapidly as in crumbles
| off into the current below.
| There are very few strangers here. The
large hotels are all closed; the curiosity
shops are loked up; the Indians are by
bernating, the ferry boats are in winter
quarters, and not even the lce-King Jotam
would dare venture behind the cataract
now; but till / am bound to say, if yon
would see Niagara "aright," come view it
in January. The "pale moonlight" |
doubt not, becomes Melrose right royalty,
for all that, Sir Walter,who was SO profuse
in its praise, was never there to see; but
as for Niagara by winter, | can testify yet
more positively. Not in long low poetry
but in plain blunt prose; not by faith.
but by sight, | can affirm that Niagaras
best days are the shortest days.
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