ut the falls--and as every
person wishes to carry home some trophy of his visit, I presume the
museum is a very profitable concern.

Having enjoyed an excellent night's repose, lulled by the roaring of the
cataract, I rose early on the morning of the 13th, and hoisting my
window, enjoyed a beautiful view of the rapids, which, independent of
the falls, are a sublime spectacle. After breakfast I made up my mind,
in spite of a heavy rain, to cross over and drink a health to old King
George, and for other purposes. I therefore again descended the almost
perpendicular staircase, paid my ferriage, entered a small boat, and in
a twinkling was in the midst of the waters, enveloped in the surrounding
spray. The waters here, like a violent, angry man, having vented all his
fury, become comparatively tranquil, and susceptible of social and
agreeable intercourse. The river, which, above the falls, is nearly a
mile in width, becomes suddenly contracted to about a fourth of that
distance. While crossing, the story of the Indian having descended the
cataract in safety, occurred to me; and I at once pronounced the author
destitute of truth. It is utterly impossible.

The view, while crossing the river, is obscured in a considerable degree
by the surrounding spray; but the sound is almost deafening, and on
placing my thumbs to my ears, and shutting my eyes for a minute, then
suddenly opening them, and unstopping my ears, the effect almost
amounted to stunning. Our landing on the opposite shore was soon
effected, when the first thing I did was to take off my hat and drink,
from a little mountain spring, a health to King George, but accompanied
with various important qualifications. I ascended by a rough road,
nearly completed, for the purpose of having a ferry to cross by a
horse-boat, and after pulling and blowing, attained the top of the
eminence, whence I proceeded to the Table Rock. I gazed, as usual, with
astonishment, paid a shilling and went down the perpendicular ladder, or
rather winding staircase, to the dreadful abyss below. I must here
confess, that although I was yesterday heroic enough to go to the
extreme of the Horse-shoe bridge, actually on the very verge of the
precipice, and in the midst of the descending torrent, a spot terrible
in comparison in point of danger, with that now before me, yet I was now
afraid to venture under the sheet. The situation of the bridge on which
I had so recently stood, hung, as it were, ove