Year: 1873

feet, but was Immediately caught by q
protruding rock.


We clambered over the bouIders to-
ward the thickest spray, which soon be-
came 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. l tried to shield
my eyes with my hand, and look up
ward but the defense was useless. Ny
guide continued to move on, but at a
certain place he halted, and desired me
to take shelter in his lee and observe
| 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 from the blind
ing shock of the spray, while the line
of vision to the upper lodges remained
to some extent clear. On looking up
over the guides shoulder I could see
the water bending over the ledge, while
Terrapin tower IOomed ftfulIy 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 push ed,
amid the widest commotion, along the
arm of the Horseshoe. until the bowl
ders failed US, and the cataract fell into
the profound gorge of the Niagara
river.


Here my guide sheltered me again,
and desired me to look rp; I did so,
and could see, as before, the green
CLEAN of the mighty curve sweeping
over the upper ledge, and the fitfuI
plunge of the water as the spray be-
tween us and it alternately gathered
and disappeared An eminent friend
of mine often speaks to me of the mis-
take of those physicians who regard





mans ailments as purely chemical, to
be met with chemical remedies only.
He contends for a psychological element
of cure. By agreeable emotions, he
says, nervous currents are liberated
which stimulate the blood, brain and
viscera. The influence rained from
ladies' eyes enables my friend to thrive
on dishes which would kill him if eaten
alone. A sanative effect of the same
order I experienced amid the spray and
thunder of Niagara. Quickened by
the emotions there aroused, the blood
sped exultingIy 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 relentless and
unreasonable foe. Apart from its scien-
tifc value, and purely as a moral agent,
the play, l submit, is worth the candle
My companion knew no more of me
than that enjoyed the wilderness; but,
as I bent in the shelter of his large
frame, he said, "I should like to see
you attempt to describe all this" He
rightly thought it indescribable The
name of the gallant fellow was Thomas
Conroy.


We returned, clambering at intervals
up and down so as to catch glimpses of
the most impressive portions of the cat
aract. We passed under lodges formed
by tabular masses of limestone, and
through some curious openings formed
by the falling together of the SUBMITS
of the rocks. At length we found our
selves beside our enemy of the morning.
My guide halted for a minute or two,
scanning the torrent thoughtfulIy. I
said that, as a guide, he ought to have
a rope in such place but he retorted
that, as no traveller had ever thought of
coming there, he did not see the neces-
sity of keeping a rope He waded in.
The struggle to keep himself erect was
evident enough; he swayed, but re-
covered himself again and again At
length he slipped, gave way, did as I
had done, threw himself fiat in the
water toward the bank, and was swept
into the shadows. Standing in the
stream near its edge, he stretched his
arm toward me. I retained the pitch
fork handle, for it had been useful
among the powders. By wading some
way in, the staff could be made to reach
him, and I proposed his seizing it. eff
you are sure, he replied, Gin case of
giving way you can maintain your grasp,
then I will certainly hold you" I
waded in, and stretched the staff to nv
companion. Tt was firmly grasped by
both of us. Thus helped, though its
onset was strong, I moved safely across
the torrent. All danger ended here.


We afterward roamed sociably among
the torrents and powders below the
cave of the Winds. The rocks were
covered with organic slime, which could
not have been walked over with bare
feet, but the felt shoes effectualIy pre-
vented slipping. We reached the cave
and entered it, first by a wooden way
carried over the powders. and then
along a narrow ledge to a point eaten
dee est in the shale. When the wind
is from the south, the falling water, I
am told, can be seen TRANQUILITY from
this spot but, when we were there, a
binding hurricane of spray was whirIed
against Us. On the evening of the
same day, 1 went behind the water on
the Canada eide, which, confess, struck
me, after the exp -Tience of the morning.
as an impOsturr