Having reached the bottom of the precipice,
and approached as near to the cataract, as I could,
with apparent safety, I sat down, and spent about
two hours in contemplating this astonishing natural
curiosity, which is said to be the greatest cataract
in the world. The tremendous roar arising from
the Falls, added to the awful sublimity of the
spectacle of such an uncommon body of water
rushing headlong from the rock, with the beautiful
surrounding perspectives altogether form a scene
which it is impossible to describe. As the morning
was bright and clear, a beautiful rainbow was
constantly observable in the clouds of mist and
spray, that are continually rising from the water
below. Here I held my forenoon meeting, and
though no words were uttered, it could scarcely be
called a silent meeting; the objects before me
loudly proclaiming the power and majesty of the
Great First Cause and Creator of all things.

In the afternoon I returned to the inn, and, after
dinner, was invited by the commanding officer of
the English garrison to drink tea with him, and
his wife and family, in the fort. I accepted his
invitation, and spent the evening with them very
pleasantly. This officer, whose name is Tallant

,
had spent some time in Sheffield, a few years
back, and had married his wife at Liverpool; she
is an agreeable young woman, and well acquainted
with some friends of Liverpool. They had a fine
child with them, and upon the whole seemed hap-