Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-21
VICTORIA FALLS.
One of the Most beautiful spectacles
I'm the World

|
There is fine description Of Vic
| TORN falls in the Xambezi river i'm e.
i. Knights "Soutl Africa After the
War" The author says: "Thc nature
fof the extraordinary volcanic fissure
that created the falls cannot easily be
realized without reference to map
but ut The point under consideration
the mighty Iambezi flows, roughly,
from north TO south At about half
n mile above the falls the river is
mile and half in breadth. Then it
contracts. and the breadth Mt the falls
themselves is Il little over mile, or
| to be exact, 1886 yards. And here
to one looking over the edge, the great
river seems suddenly TO come to an
end, no continuation OF its channel
| being visible. The Tambczi for its
whole mile of breadth thundcrs down
prccipitously into Il comparatively mar
row, profound trench or canyon, which
extends at right angles to the rivers
course from shore To shore I;eyond
the falls one is faced by the pcrpcn-
dicuIar wall OF the canyon Below the
mally wlirling spray ohscurcs the
view of The bottom of the canyon
aud ii seems as IL The whole mighty
flood were falling into the center Of
The earth through this awful chasm
l'ut the river has lis exit. II prucip-
ilo'iS cleft, only ten yards in breadth,
near the eastern end Of the canyon.
through which the Whole of the con
| tractGi Tambczi ruslicS with incrcd-
fttr, 81
ing ut this point what is called The
HoilnG Pot. surely one Of this carths
most terrific scenes.
Il believe" the author adds. that on
that day was gazing at the most per
| fcctly beautiful spectacle Of all this
I beautiful. world. II was the lovely
tenderness Of the rich coloring. bathed
IN That translucent atmosphere OF thin,
| pcarly haze, rather than the awful
! majesty OF the scene that impressed
one. AT our feet, far below the rag
ing Hood Numbered away down the
canyon to the exit In the misty dis
lance On our left the line of the cata-
ract. plunginE into the swirling spray
beneath, was clearly visible for some
way out with its white avalanchcs and
cor'scating spray. and then gradually
bccamc less distinct in the thin haze
until at last far or beyond Livingstone
island 1t disappeared from our vision
In the luminous pcarl-likc mist that
formed the background TO all the land
scapc.
ON our right, facing the cataract,
doomed the AGO foot high wall of the
canyon, topped by the lush green Rain
forest with its ever dripping branches
And rs we looked now wonders be-
came gradually revealed TO our won
dcrng gaze. | began TO perceive in
nooks of the black precipiccs halfway
down strange plants growing, as In
happy confidence their fragile rainbow
| hucu blossoms ever shaking In the
wind and driving spray, hut safe and
unlarmcd amid this eternal storm.
And down the black clin' will OH my
right l saw hundreds Of tiny white
strcnmlcts pouring formed by the re-.
turning spray from the Rain forest.
And rs l watched them | discovered a
strange thing
"Thcse falling streams never reached
the bottom of the chasm. They dropped
Into little cascades to about Il third OF
the way down, and then, as if defying
the laws OF gravity. they literally turn
ell round ana came back again. mount
ing vertically. 1t was curious to sec
these cascades. after breaking into
spray, appear to hesitate and faltcr
ana then begin to rise. first slowly. but
soon rapidly, shooting upward in whlri-
ing foam columns ana fcathcry roun-
lains, being carried mp by the ttful
blasts of cold air that the dropping cat
aract forced out Of the narrow chasm
into which it thundercd"