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of　varnishing。　And　in　London　he　will　find　the　supreme　of　power；　the　ne　plus　ultra　of　work　according　to　the　world's　capability　of　working。　　Any　one　of　such　journeys　may　be　more　valuable　to　a　mannay；　any　one　such　journey　must　be　more　valuable　to　a　manthan　a　visit　to　Niagara。　At　Niagara　there　is　that　fall　of　waters　alone。　　But　that　fall　is　more　graceful　than　Giotto's　tower；　more　noble　than　the　Apollo。　　The　peaks　of　the　Alps　are　not　so　astounding　in　their　solitude。　　The　valleys　of　the　Blue　Mountains　in　Jamaica　are　less　green。　　The　finished　glaze　of　life　in　Paris　is　less　invariable；　and　the　full　tide　of　trade　round　the　Bank　of　England　is　not　so　inexorably　powerful。　I　came　across　an　artist　at　Niagara　who　was　attempting　to　draw　the　spray　of　the　waters。　　〃You　have　a　difficult　subject；〃　said　I。　　〃All　subjects　are　difficult；〃　he　replied；　〃to　a　man　who　desires　to　do　well。〃　　〃But　yours；　I　fear　is　impossible；〃　I　said。　　〃You　have　no　right　to　say　so　till　I　have　finished　my　picture；〃　he　replied。　　I　acknowledged　the　justice　of　his　rebuke；　regretted　that　I　could　not　remain　till　the　completion　of　his　work　should　enable　me　to　revoke　my　words；　and　passed　on。　　Then　I　began　to　reflect　whether　I　did　not　intend　to　try　a　task　as　difficult　in　describing　the　falls；　and　whether　I　felt　any　of　that　proud　self…confidence　which　kept　him　happy　at　any　rate　while　his　task　was　in　hand。　　I　will　not　say　that　it　is　as　difficult　to　describe　aright　that　rush　of　waters　as　it　is　to　paint　it　well。　　But　I　doubt　whether　it　is　not　quite　as　difficult　to　write　a　description　that　shall　interest　the　reader　as　it　is　to　paint　a　picture　of　them　that　shall　be　pleasant　to　the　beholder。　　My　friend　the　artist　was　at　any　rate　not　afraid　to　make　the　attempt；　and　I　also　will　try　my　hand。　That　the　waters　of　Lake　Erie　have　come　down　in　their　courses　from　the　broad　basins　of　Lake　Michigan；　Lake　Superior；　and　Lake　Huron；　that　these　waters　fall　into　Lake　Ontario　by　the　short　and　rapid　river　of　Niagara；　and　that　the　falls　of　Niagara　are　made　by　a　sudden　break　in　the　level　of　this　rapid　river；　is　probably　known　to　all　who　will　read　this　book。　　All　the　waters　of　these　huge　northern　inland　seas　run　over　that　breach　in　the　rocky　bottom　of　the　stream；　and　thence　it　comes　that　the　flow　is　unceasing　in　its　grandeur；　and　that　no　eye　can　perceive　a　difference　in　the　weight；　or　sound；　or　violence　of　the　fall　whether　it　be　visited　in　the　drought　of　autumn；　amid　the　storms　of　winter；　or　after　the　melting　of　the　upper　worlds　of　ice　in　the　days　of　the　early　summer。　　How　many　cataracts　does　the　habitual　tourist　visit　at　which　the　waters　fail　him！　　But　at　Niagara　the　waters　never　fail。　　There　it　thunders　over　its　ledge　in　a　volume　that　never　ceases　and　is　never　diminishedas　it　has　done　from　times　previous　to　the　life　of　man；　and　as　it　will　do　till　tens　of　thousands　of　years　shall　see　the　rocky　bed　of　the　river　worn　away　back　to　the　upper　lake。　This　stream　divides　Canada　from　the　Statesthe　western　or　farthermost　bank　belonging　to　the　British　Crown；　and　the　eastern　or　nearer　bank　being　in　the　State　of　New　York。　　In　visiting　Niagara；　it　always　becomes　a　question　on　which　side　the　visitor　shall　take　up　his　quarters。　　On　the　Canada　side　there　is　no　town；　but　there　is　a　large　hotel　beautifully　placed　immediately　opposite　to　the　falls　and　this　is　generally　thought　to　be　the　best　locality　for　tourists。　In　the　State　of　New　York　is　the　town　called　Niagara　Falls；　and　here　there　are　two　large　hotels；　which；　as　to　their　immediate　site；　are　not　so　well　placed　as　that　in　Canada。　　I　first　visited　Niagara　some　three　years　since。　　I　stayed　then　at　the　Clifton　House；　on　the　Canada　side；　and　have　since　sworn　by　that　position。　　But　the　Clifton　House　was　closed　for　the　season　when　I　was　last　there；　and　on　that　account　we　went　to　the　Cataract　House；　in　the　town　on　the　other　side。　　I　now　think　that　I　should　set　up　my　staff　on　the　American　side；　if　I　went　again。　　My　advice　on　the　subject　to　any　party　starting　for　Niagara　would　depend　upon　their　habits　or　on　their　nationality。　　I　would　send　Americans　to　the　Canadian　side；　because　they　dislike　walking；　but　English　people　I　would　locate　on　the　American　side；　seeing　that　they　are　generally　accustomed　to　the　frequent　use　of　their　own　legs。　　The　two　sides　are　not　very　easily　approached　one　from　the　other。　　Immediately　below　the　falls　there　is　a　ferry；　which　may　be　traversed　at　the　expense　of　a　shilling；　but　the　labor　of　getting　up　and　down　from　the　ferry　is　considerable；　and　the　passage　becomes　wearisome。　　There　is　also　a　bridge；　but　it　is　two　miles　down　the　river；　making　a　walk　or　drive　of　four　miles　necessary；　and　the　toll　for　passing　is　four　shillings；　or　a　dollar；　in　a　carriage；　and　one　shilling　on　foot。　As　the　greater　variety　of　prospect　can　be　had　on　the　American　side；　as　the　island　between　the　two　falls　is　approachable　from　the　American　side　and　not　from　the　Canadian；　and　as　it　is　in　this　island　that　visitors　will　best　love　to　linger；　and　learn　to　measure　in　their　minds　the　vast　triumph　of　waters　before　them；　I　recommend　such　of　my　readers　as　can　trust　a　littleit　need　be　but　a　little　to　their　own　legs　to　select　their　hotel　at　Niagara　Falls　town。　It　has　been　said　that　it　matters　much　from　what　point　the　falls　are　first　seen；　but　to　this　I　demur。　　It　matters；　I　think；　very　little；　or　not　at　all。　　Let　the　visitor　first　see　it　all；　and　learn　the　whereabouts　of　every　point；　so　as　to　understand　his　own　position　and　that　of　the　waters；　and　then；　having　done　that　in　the　way　of　business；　let　him　proceed　to　enjoyment。　　I　doubt　whether　it　be　not　the　best　to　do　this　with　all　sight…seeing。　　I　am　quite　sure　that　it　is　the　way　in　which　acquaintance　may　be　best　and　most　pleasantly　made　with　a　new　picture。　The　falls；　as　I　have　said；　are　made　by　a　sudden　breach　in　the　level　of　the　river。　　All　cataracts　are；　I　presume；　made　by　such　breaches；　but　generally　the　waters　do　not　fall　precipitously　as　they　do　at　Niagara；　and　never　elsewhere；　as　far　as　the　world　yet　knows；　has　a　breach　so　sudden　been　made　in　a　river　carrying　in　its　channel　such　or　any　approach　to　such　a　body　of　water。　　Up　above　the　falls　for　more　than　a　mile　the　waters　leap　and　burst　over　rapids；　as　though　conscious　of　the　destiny　that　awaits　them。　　Here　the　river　is　very　broad　and　comparatively　shallow；　but　from　shore　to　shore　it　frets　itself　into　little　torrents；　and　begins　to　assume　the　majesty　of　its　power。　　Looking　at　it　even　here；　in　the　expanse　which　forms　itself　over　the　greater　fall；　one　feels　sure　that　no　strongest　swimmer　could　have　a　chance　of　saving　himself　if　fate　had　cast　him　in　even　among　those　petty　whirlpools。　　The　waters　though　so　broken　in　their　descent；　are　deliciously　green。　　This　color；　as　seen　early　in　the　morning　or　just　as　the　sun　has　set；　is　so　bright　as　to　give　to　the　place　one　of　its　chiefest　charms。　This　will　be　best　seen　from　the　farther　end　of　the　islandGoat　Island　as　it　is　calledwhich；　as　the　reader　will　understand；　divides　the　river　immediately　above　the　falls。　　Indeed；　the　island　is　a　part　of　that　precipitously…broken　ledge　over　which　the　river　tumbles；　and　no　doubt　in　process　of　time　will　be　worn　away　and　covered　with　water。　　The　time；　however；　will　be　very　long。　　In　the　mean　while；　it　is　perhaps　a　mile　round；　and　is　covered　thickly　with　timber。　　At　the　upper　end　of　the　island　the　waters　are　divided；　and；　coming　down　in　two　courses　each　over　its　own　rapids；　form　two　separate　falls。　　The　bridge　by　which　the　island　is　entered　is　a　hundred　yards　or　more　above　the　smaller　fall。　　The　waters　here　have　been　turned　by　the　island；　and　make　their　leap　into　the　body　of　the　river　below　at　a　right　angle　with　itabout　two　hundred　yards　below　the　greater　fall。　　Taken　alone；　this　smaller　cataract　would；　I　imagine；　be　the　heaviest　fall　of　water　known；　but　taken　in　conjunction　with　the　other；　it　is　terribly　shorn　of　its　majesty。　The　waters　here　are　not　green　as　they　are　at　the　larger　cataract；　and；　though　the　ledge　has　been　hollowed　and　bowed　by　them　so　as　to　form　a　curve；　that　curve　does　not　deepen　itself　into　a　vast　abyss　as　it　does　at　the　horseshoe　up　above。　　This　smaller　fall　is　again　divided；　and　the　visitor；　passing　down　a　flight　of　steps　and　over　a　frail　wooden　bridge；　finds　himself　on　a　smaller　island　in　the　midst　of　it。　But　we　will　go　at　once　on　to　the　glory；　and　the　thunder；　and　the　majesty；　and　the　wrath　of　that　upper　hell　of　waters。　　We　are　still；　let　the　reader　remember；　on　Goat　Islandstill　in　the　Statesand　on　what　is　called　the　American　side　of　the　main　body　of　the　river。　Advancing　beyond　the　path　leading　down　to　the　lesser　fall；　we　come　to　that　point　of　the　island　at　which　the　waters　of　the　main　river　begin　to　descend。　　From　hence　across　to　the　Canadian　side　the　cataract　continues　itself　in　one　unabated　line。　　But　the　line　is　very　far　from　being　direct　or　straight。　　After　stretching　for　some　little　way　from　the　shore　to　a　point　in　the　river　which　is　reached　by　a　wooden　bridge　at　the　end　of　which　stands　a　tower　upon　the　rock；after　stretching　to　this；　the　line　of　the　ledge　bends　inward　against　the　floodin；　and　in；　and　intill　one　is　led　to　think　that　the　depth　of　that　horseshoe　is　immeasurable。　　It　has　been　cut　with　no　stinting　hand。　　A　monstrous　cantle　has　been　worn　back　out　of　the　center　of　the　rock；　so　that　the　fury　of　the