The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-06-21
Tyndall's Visit to Niagara.

The oll-cloth covering was grea'
incumbrance; it had been made for
much stouter man, and, standing up
right after my submersion, my legs oc-
cupied the centres of two bags of water.
My guide exhorted me to try again.
Prudence was at my elbow, whispering
discussion; but, taking everything into
account, it appeared more immoral to
retreat than to proceed. Instructed by
the first misadventure, l once more en-
tered the stream. Had the alpenstocK
been of iron it might of helped me !;
but, as it was, the tendency OF the
water to sweep it out of my hands rem
dered it worse than useless. l, how
ever, chung to it by habit. Again the
torrent rose, and again wavered; but,
by keeping the left hip well against It,
Remained upright. and at length grasp
ed the hand of my leader at the other
side. He laughed pleasantly. The
first victory was gained, and he enjoy
ed it. " No traveller" he said, "was
ever here before" Soon afterward, by
trusting to piece of drift-wood which
seemed firm, was again taken off my
feet, but was Immediately caught by a
protruding rock.
We clambered over the powders to-
wards the thickest spray, which soon
became so weighty as to cause us to
stagger under its shock. For the most
part nothing could be seen we were
in the midst of bewildering tumult,
lashed by the water, which sounded at
times like the cracking of innumerable
whips. Underneath this was the deep
resonant roar of the cataract. tried
to shield my eyes with my hands. and
look upward; but the defense was use
less. My guide continued to move on
but at certain place he halted and desir-
ed me to take shelter in his lee and OBJ
serve the cataract. The spray did not
come so much from the upper ledge as
from the rebound of the shattered
water when it struck the bottom.
Hence the eyes could be protected form
the binding shock of the spray, while
the line of vision to the upper lodges
remained to some extent clear. On
looking upward over the guides SHOULD
err could see the water bending over
the ledge, while the Terrapin Tower
doomed ftfully through the intermittent
spray gusts. We were right under the
tower. A little farther on the cataract,
after its first plunge hit protuberance
some way down, and flew from it in a
prodigious burst of spray; through
this we staggered. We rounded the
promontory on which the Terrapin
Tower stands, and pushed, amid the
widest commotion, along the arm of
Horseshoe, until the powders failed us
and the cataract fell into the profound
gorge of the Niagara River.
Here my guide shelted me again, and
desired me to looked up; l did so, and
could see, as before me, the green CLEAN
of the mighty curve sweeping over the
upper ledge, and the fitful plunge of the
water as the spray between US and it
alternately gathered and disappeared.
An eminent friend of mine often speaks
to me of the mistake of those physic-
ianswho regard mans ailments as pure
ly chemical, to be met by chemical
only. He contends for the
psychological element of cure. By
agreeable emotions, he says, nervous
currents are liberated which stimulate
blood, brain, viscera. The influence
rained from ladies eyes enables my
friend to thrive on dishes which would
kill him if eaten alone. A sanative eff
feet of the same order experienced
amid the spray and thunder of Niagara.
Quickened by the emotions there arous-
ed, the blood sped exultingly through
the arteries, abolishing introspection,
clearing the heart of all bitterness, and
enabling one to think with tolerance,
if not with tenderness, on the most re-
lentless and unreasonable foe. Apart
from its scientific value, and purely as
a moral agent, the play, l submit, is
worth the candle. My companion
knew no more ofme than that enjoyed
the wildness; but, as bent in the
shelter of his large frame, he said, 81
should like to see you attempting to
describe all this" He rightly thought
It indescribable. The name of this gal
ent fellow was Thomas Conroy.
Popular Science Monthly.