Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-07-06

uO" aan4uh river niagara. Al VI
the mouth Of the river are the towns of Nj W
agara on the Canada side, and Youngstown n
on the American. The whole view is termi- re
mated by the magnificent sheet of Lake On
tario, which stretches away like a food Of a
light to the horizon. Il
Night approaching we returned to the t
Clifton House, weary in body, but with a Z
yearning spirit to look yet again upon the v
grand and ~awe-imposing sight of Niagara, I
which seems 4
"As if God poured it from His hollow hand.' t
Having a desire to see the Falls at night, be-
fore retiring we took a stand near Table
Rock and gazed upon the roaring waters as
they leap over the Horse Shoe Falls.
Its snowy foam and mistwas distinctly Wis
IDLE through the darkness of the moonless
night, and the thunder of its waters seemed
louder than ever in their c~easeless roar. In
imagination one may picture the Falls in their
beauty and sublimity, but no one can form
any adequate idea of them, save in the sight
seeing and ear-hearing of the reality ITSELF
You may speak, it is true, but you feel that
words rebut solemn mockery. You feel as
if near God himself, whose visible magnif-
cence and might, inspire and overwhelm the
soul with ayeversstial aIi a sacred awel-l
71en, if never before, you will be impressed,
and most deeply too, with a realizing sense of
the weakness Of language, and its utter mad
equateness to shadow forth the images that
food the soul. We retired forrest with the
roar ofNiagara as a lullaby to the land ofdreams,
while the whole building-an immense Hotel,
vibrated and shook as if in unison with the
music of the waters as they 60 dancing over
the Falls into the boiling abyss below.
My impressions and opinions of the guides,
o~fficious ''sight-showers," hackmen, &C., was
not Of the most complimentary character
The 'Pluck'em" game seemed to be very
well understood by them, and they seemed
to regard it as a chief part of their business,
to fleece every one with whom they came in
contact. Some of our travelling companions
having run the gauntlet before, several
quarters remained in our pockets which they
tried in vain to entice out.
Morning found as greatly refreshed by a
nightof sound sleep, and after a well-relished
breakfast we were ready for visiting 'The
Whirlpoor"-'The Devils Hole" and for
descent to the waters edge below the Suspen
sion Bridge; but l have already wearied N,
readers with details, and l forbear ~enterin,
into very minute descriptions. The former
about three miles below the Falls, where tn
river takes an abrupt turn and shoots wit
great violence against the cliff on the Canad
side, forming what is called the whirlpool
The scenery around this caldron is exceeding
ly wild and the Rapids just below the Whir
pool are very fine.
The Devils Hole" is aterribly gloomy an
savage chasm in the bank OF the river. said
be between one and two hundred feet Deep
Overhanging this dark cavern is a perpendi
ular precipice from thn +nn-af- -hs~L- ell
small stream called Bloody Run-taking j
name from the blood which intermingl,
with its waters by a terrible massacre by Il
Indians of British soldiers in the French W
of 1893.
In order to get a full idea of the magnitu
= and grandeur of the Bridge, one must nee
- 60 down to the waters edge and view it frc
n below. This is easily done, as there are sta
II on the American side leading directly the,
:. AS | looked directly up, letting the eye re
upon either bank, | enjoyed most magn.
cent sight-the enormous structure seemi
- as if hung in mid-air $50 feet above me, a
. making me almost shudder at my own ms
y nifi canoe. The scene above and below
both eminently suggestive; the one of cal
:" ne IS, safety and life, md 1.-The other of passi
danger and death; the one seemingly invit
upward to the clear blue sky and the bles
sunlight of heaven, the other alluring but
destroy, unless every moment be guar
with proper care and watchfulness.
:. Our time being limited, we now begar
make arrangements "homeward- bound"
string to see as much as We could of this or
and picturesque country, we determined u
returning a different route from the one
had come. Taking Railroad a few miles,
embarked on a large steamer and procee
-, up the Niagara river to its commencement
Buffalo. The river is studded with beau
Islands its entire length. Buffalo is stu
-, at the outlet of Lake Erie and is a great
=, mercial city from which trains leave
for all parts Of the States and Canada,
was told during a brief stay there. Her
took the cars on the Erie and Baltimore
road and proceeded through a mostbeau
portion Of Western New York, and pas
s many cities and towns with such rap
" that we do not remember the names ev
'ged half Of them. About midnight we rea
hre Elmira, N. Y, and were quartered at
WITH Brennan House." q think it was called,
very of the finest and best managed hotels We
the with on our route.
moe At Q o'clock next morning we tooA
cars for Baltimore eia Harrisburg, York
nout various other towns in Western Penns
MIA. This route conveys us through the
we ~nificent valley of the Susquehannah, an
sents a constant panorama of beauty and
s on deur surpassed by no other. For a goo,
soon ton of the route the proud Alleghani
nQmr ILL., "a