north america-1-第47节

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　　Wheat　with　us　is　aristocratic；　and　travels　always　in　its　private　carriage。　Over　and　beyond　the　elevators　there　is　nothing　specially　worthy　of　remark　at　Buffalo。　　It　is　a　fine　city；　like　all　other　American　cities　of　its　class。　　The　streets　are　broad；　the　〃blocks〃　are　high；　and　cars　on　tramways　run　all　day；　and　nearly　all　night　as　well。

CHAPTER　XII。　BUFFALO　TO　NEW　YORK。

We　had　now　before　us　only　two　points　of　interest　before　we　should　reach　New　Yorkthe　Falls　of　Trenton；　and　West　Point　on　the　Hudson　River。　　We　were　too　late　in　the　year　to　get　up　to　Lake　George；　which　lies　in　the　State　of　New　York　north　of　Albany；　and　is；　in　fact；　the　southern　continuation　of　Lake　Champlain。　　Lake　George；　I　know；　is　very　lovely；　and　I　would　fain　have　seen　it；　but　visitors　to　it　must　have　some　hotel　accommodation；　and　the　hotel　was　closed　when　we　were　near　enough　to　visit　it。　　I　was　in　its　close　neighborhood　three　years　since；　in　June；　but　then　the　hotel　was　not　yet　opened。　　A　visitor　to　Lake　George　must　be　very　exact　in　his　time。　　July　and　August　are　the　monthswith；　perhaps；　the　grace　of　a　week　in　September。　The　hotel　at　Trenton　was　also　closed；　as　I　was　told。　　But　even　if　there　were　no　hotel　at　Trenton；　it　can　be　visited　without　difficulty。　　It　is　within　a　carriage　drive　of　Utica；　and　there　is；　moreover；　a　direct　railway　from　Utica；　with　a　station　at　the　Trenton　Falls。　　Utica　is　a　town　on　the　line　of　railway　from　Buffalo　to　New　York　via　Albany；　and　is　like　all　the　other　towns　we　had　visited。　　There　are　broad　streets；　and　avenues　of　trees；　and　large　shops；　and　excellent　houses。　　A　general　air　of　fat　prosperity　pervades　them　all；　and　is　strong　at　Utica　as　elsewhere。　I　remember　to　have　been　told；　thirty　years　ago；　that　a　traveler　might　go　far　and　wide　in　search　of　the　picturesque　without　finding　a　spot　more　romantic　in　its　loveliness　than　Trenton　Falls。　　The　name　of　the　river　is　Canada　Creek　West；　but　as　that　is　hardly　euphonious；　the　course　of　the　water　which　forms　the　falls　has　been　called　after　the　town　or　parish。　　This　course　is　nearly　two　miles　in　length；　and　along　the　space　of　this　two　miles　it　is　impossible　to　say　where　the　greatest　beauty　exists。　　To　see　Trenton　aright；　one　must　be　careful　not　to　have　too　much　water。　　A　sufficiency　is　no　doubt　desirable；　and　it　may　be　that　at　the　close　of　summer；　before　any　of　the　autumnal　rains　have　fallen；　there　may　occasionally　be　an　insufficiency。　　But　if　there　be　too　much；　the　passage　up　the　rocks　along　the　river　is　impossible。　　The　way　on　which　the　tourist　should　walk　becomes　the　bed　of　the　stream；　and　the　great　charm　of　the　place　cannot　be　enjoyed。　　That　charm　consists　in　descending　into　the　ravine　of　the　river；　down　amid　the　rocks　through　which　it　has　cut　its　channel；　and　in　walking　up　the　bed　against　the　stream；　in　climbing　the　sides　of　the　various　falls；　and　sticking　close　to　the　river　till　an　envious　block　is　reached　which　comes　sheer　down　into　the　water　and　prevents　farther　progress。　　This　is　nearly　two　miles　above　the　steps　by　which　the　descent　is　made；　and　not　a　foot　of　this　distance　but　is　wildly　beautiful。　　When　the　river　is　very　low　there　is　a　pathway　even　beyond　that　block；　but　when　this　is　the　case　there　can　hardly　be　enough　of　water　to　make　the　fall　satisfactory。　There　is　no　one　special　cataract　at　Trenton　which　is　in　itself　either　wonderful　or　pre…eminently　beautiful。　　It　is　the　position；　form；　color；　and　rapidity　of　the　river　which　gives　the　charm。　　It　runs　through　a　deep　ravine；　at　the　bottom　of　which　the　water　has　cut　for　itself　a　channel　through　the　rocks；　the　sides　of　which　rise　sometimes　with　the　sharpness　of　the　walls　of　a　stone　sarcophagus。　They　are　rounded；　too；　toward　the　bed　as　I　have　seen　the　bottom　of　a　sarcophagus。　　Along　the　side　of　the　right　bank　of　the　river　there　is　a　passage　which；　when　the　freshets　come；　is　altogether　covered。　This　passage　is　sometimes　very　narrow；　but　in　the　narrowest　parts　an　iron　chain　is　affixed　into　the　rock。　　It　is　slippery　and　wet；　and　it　is　well　for　ladies；　when　visiting　the　place；　to　be　provided　with　outside　India…rubber　shoes；　which　keep　a　hold　upon　the　stone。　If　I　remember　rightly；　there　are　two　actual　cataractsone　not　far　above　the　steps　by　which　the　descent　is　made　into　the　channel；　and　the　other　close　under　a　summer…house；　near　to　which　the　visitors　reascend　into　the　wood。　　But　these　cataracts；　though　by　no　means　despicable　as　cataracts；　leave　comparatively　a　slight　impression。　They　tumble　down　with　sufficient　violence　and　the　usual　fantastic　disposition　of　their　forces；　but　simply　as　cataracts　within　a　day's　journey　of　Niagara；　they　would　be　nothing。　　Up　beyond　the　summer…　house　the　passage　along　the　river　can　be　continued　for　another　mile；　but　it　is　rough；　and　the　climbing　in　some　places　rather　difficult　for　ladies。　　Every　man；　however；　who　has　the　use　of　his　legs　should　do　it；　for　the　succession　of　rapids；　and　the　twistings　of　the　channels；　and　the　forms　of　the　rocks　are　as　wild　and　beautiful　as　the　imagination　can　desire。　　The　banks　of　the　river　are　closely　wooded　on　each　side；　and　though　this　circumstance　does　not　at　first　seem　to　add　much　to　the　beauty；　seeing　that　the　ravine　is　so　deep　that　the　absence　of　wood　above　would　hardly　be　noticed；　still　there　are　broken　clefts　ever　and　anon　through　which　the　colors　of　the　foliage　show　themselves；　and　straggling　boughs　and　rough　roots　break　through　the　rocks　here　and　there；　and　add　to　the　wildness　and　charm　of　the　whole。　The　walk　back　from　the　summer…house　through　the　wood　is　very　lovely；　but　it　would　be　a　disappointing　walk　to　visitors　who　had　been　prevented　by　a　flood　in　the　river　from　coming　up　the　channel；　for　it　indicates　plainly　how　requisite　it　is　that　the　river　should　be　seen　from　below　and　not　from　above。　　The　best　view　of　the　larger　fall　itself　is　that　seen　from　the　wood。　　And　here　again　I　would　point　out　that　any　male　visitor　should　walk　the　channel　of　the　river　up　and　down。　　The　descent　is　too　slippery　and　difficult　for　bipeds　laden　with　petticoats。　　We　found　a　small　hotel　open　at　Trenton；　at　which　we　got　a　comfortable　dinner；　and　then　in　the　evening　were　driven　back　to　Utica。　Albany　is　the　capital　of　the　State　of　New　York；　and　our　road　from　Trenton　to　West　Point　lay　through　that　town；　but　these　political　State　capitals　have　no　interest　in　themselves。　　The　State　legislature　was　not　sitting；　and　we　went　on；　merely　remarking　that　the　manner　in　which　the　railway　cars　are　made　to　run　backward　and　forward　through　the　crowded　streets　of　the　town　must　cause　a　frequent　loss　of　human　life。　　One　is　led　to　suppose　that　children　in　Albany　can　hardly　have　a　chance　of　coming　to　maturity。　　Such　accidents　do　not　become　the　subject　of　long…continued　and　strong　comment　in　the　States　as　they　do　with　us；　but　nevertheless　I　should　have　thought　that　such　a　state　of　things　as　we　saw　there　would　have　given　rise　to　some　remark　on　the　part　of　the　philanthropists。　　I　cannot　myself　say　that　I　saw　anybody　killed；　and　therefore　should　not　be　justified　in　making　more　than　this　passing　remark　on　the　subject。　When　first　the　Americans　of　the　Northern　States　began　to　talk　much　of　their　country；　their　claims　as　to　fine　scenery　were　confined　to　Niagara　and　the　Hudson　River。　　Of　Niagara　I　have　spoken；　and　all　the　world　has　acknowledged　that　no　claim　made　on　that　head　can　be　regarded　as　exaggerated。　　As　to　the　Hudson　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　so　much　generally；　though　there　is　one　spot　upon　it　which　cannot　be　beaten　for　sweetness。　　I　have　been　up　and　down　the　Hudson　by　water；　and　confess　that　the　entire　river　is　pretty。　　But　there　is　much　of　it　that　is　not　pre…eminently　pretty　among　rivers。　　As　a　whole；　it　cannot　be　named　with　the　Upper　Mississippi；　with　the　Rhine；　with　the　Moselle；　or　with　the　Upper　Rhone。　　The　palisades　just　out　of　New　York　are　pretty；　and　the　whole　passage　through　the　mountains　from　West　Point　up　to　Catskill　and　Hudson　is　interesting。　　But　the　glory　of　the　Hudson　is　at　West　Point　itself；　and　thither　on　this　occasion　we　went　direct　by　railway；　and　there　we　remained　for　two　days。　　The　Catskill　Mountains　should　be　seen　by　a　detour　from　off　the　river。　　We　did　not　visit　them；　because　here　again　the　hotel　was　closed。　　I　will　leave　them；　therefore；　for　the　new　hand　book　which　Mr。　Murray　will　soon　bring　out。　Of　West　Point　there　is　something　to　be　said　independently　of　its　scenery。　　It　is　the　Sandhurst　of　the　States。　　Here　is　their　military　school；　from　which　officers　are　drafted　to　their　regiments；　and　the　tuition　for　military　purposes　is；　I　imagine；　of　a　high　order。　　It　must　of　course　be　borne　in　mind　that　West　Point；　even　as　at　present　arranged；　is　fitted　to　the　wants　of　the　old　army；　and　not　to　that　of　the　army　now　required。　　It　can　go　but　a　little　way　to　supply　officers　for　500；000　men；　but　would　do　much　toward　supplying　them　for　40；000。　　At　the　time　of　my　visit　to　West　Point　the　regular　army　of　the　Northern　States　had　not　even　then　swelled　itself　to　the　latter　number。　I　found　that　there　were　220　students　at　West　Point；　that　about　forty　graduate　every　year；　each　of　whom　receives　a　commission　in　the　army；　that　about　120　pupils　are　admitted　every　year；　and　that　in　the　course　of　every　year　about　eighty　either　resign；　or　are　called　upon　to　leave　on　account　of　some　deficiency；　or　fail　in　their　final　examinati