times it disappeared and
yielded noble views of the fall. The edge of the cataract is crimped
by indentations which exalt its beauty. Here and there, a little
below the highest ledge, a secondary one juts out; the water strikes
it and bursts from it in huge protuberant masses of foam and spray. We
passed Goat Island, came to the Horseshoe, and worked for a time along
its base, the boulders over which Conroy and myself had scrambled a
few days previously lying between us and the cataract. A rock was
before us, concealed and revealed at intervals, as the waves passed
over it. Our leader tried to get above this rock, first on the
outside of it. The water, however, was here in violent motion. The
men struggled fiercely, the older one ringing out an incessant peal of
command and exhortation to the younger. As we were just clearing the
rock, the bow came obliquely to the surge; the boat was turned
suddenly round and shot with astonishing rapidity down the river. The
men returned to the charge, now trying to get up between the
half-concealed rock and the boulders to the left. But the torrent set
in strongly through this channel. The tugging was quick and violent,
but we made little way. At length, seizing a rope, the principal
oarsman made a desperate attempt to get upon one of the boulders,
hoping to be able to drag the boat through the channel; but it bumped
so violently against the rock, that the man flung himself back and
relinquished the attempt.

We returned along the base of the American Fall, running in and out
among the currents which rushed, from it laterally into the river.
Seen from below the American Fall is certainly exquisitely beautiful,
but it is a mere frill of adornment to its nobler neighbour the
Horseshoe. At times we took to the river, from the centre of which
the Horseshoe Fall appeared especially magnificent. A streak of cloud
across the neck of Mont Blanc can double its apparent height, so here
the green summit of the cataract shining above the smoke of spray
appeared lifted to an extraordinary elevation. Had Hennepin and La
Hontan seen the fall from this position, their estimates of the height
would have been perfectly excusable.

*****

From a point a little way below the American Fall, a ferry crosses
the river, in summer, to the Canadian side. Below the ferry is a
suspension bridge for carriages and foot-passengers, and a mile or two
lower down is the railway suspension bridge.