SECTION II.

The Cataract of Niagara, in Canada, North America.

THIS amazing fall of water is made by the River St. Lawrence, in its passage from lake Erie into the lake Ontario. The St. Lawrence is one of the largest rivers in the world; and yet the whole of its waters are here poured down, by a fall of a hundred and fifty feet perpendicular. It is not eafy to bring the imagination to correfpond to the greatnefs of the scene. A river extremely deep and rapid, and that serves to drain the waters of almoft all North America into the Atlantic Ocean, is here poured precipitately down a ledge of rocks, that rises, like a wall, across the whole bed of its ftream. The river, a little above, is near three quarters of a mile broad; and the rocks, where it grows narrower, are four hundred yards over.. Their direction is not ftraight across, but hollowing inwards like a horse-fhoe: fo that the cataract, which bends to the shape of the obstacle, rounding inwards, prefents a kind of theatre the most tremendous in nature. Juft in the middle of this circular wall of waters, a little ifland, that has braved the fury of the current, prefents one of its points, and divides the stream at top into two parts; but they unite again long before they reach the bottom. The noife of the fall is heard at the dif tance of feveral leagues; and the fury of the waters, at the termination of their fall, is inconceivable. The dashing produces a mift that rifes to the very clouds; and which forms a most beautiful rainbow, when the fun fhines. It will readily be supposed, that such a cataract entirely deftroys the navigation of the ftream;

and yet some Indian canoes, as it is faid, have ventured

down it with fafety.

SECTION III.

GOLDSMITH.

The Grotto of Antiparos.

Of all the fubterraneous caverns now known, the grotto of Antiparos is the moft remarkable, as well for its extent, as for the beauty of its fparry incruftations. This celebrated cavern was firft explored by one Magni, an Italian traveller, about a hundred years ago, at Antiparos, an inconfiderable island of the Archipelago. "Having been informed," fays he, "by the natives of Paros, that in the little itland of Antiparos, which lies about two miles from the former, of a gigantic ftatue that was to be feen at the mouth of a cavern in that place, it was refolved that we (the French Conful and himself) should pay it a vifit. In pursuance of this refolution, after we had landed on the island, and walked about four miles through the midft of beautiful plains, and floping woodlands, we at length came to a little hill, on the fide of which yawned a moft horrid cavern, that with its gloom at first struck us with terror, and almost repressed curiofity. Recovering the firft furprife, however, we entered boldly; and had not proceeded above twenty paces, when the fuppofed ftatue of the giant prefented itself to our view. We quickly perceived, that what the ignorant natives had been terrified at as a giant, was nothing more than a sparry concretion, formed by the water dropping from the roof of the cave, and by degrees hardening into a figure, which their fears had

formed into a monfter. Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we were induced to proceed ftill further, in queft of new adventures in this fubterranean abode. As we proceeded, new wonders offered themfelves ; the fpars, formed into trees and fhrubs, prefented a kind of petrified grove; fome white, fome green; and all receding in due perfpective. They ftruck us with the more amazement, as we knew them to be mere productions of Nature, who, hitherto in folitude, had, in her playful moments, drefsed the fcene, as if for her own amufement."

"We had as yet feen but a few of the wonders of the place; and we were introduced only into the portico of this amazing temple. In one corner of this half illuminated recefs, there appeared an opening of about three feet wide, which feemed to lead to a place totally dark, and which one of the natives assured us contained nothing more than a refervoir of water. Upon this information, we made an experiment, by throwing down fome ftones, which rumbling along the fides of the defcent for fome time, the found feemed at laft quafled in a bed of water. In order, however, to be more certain, we fent in a Levantine mariner, who, by the promife of a good reward, with a flambeau in his hand, ventured into this narrow aperture. After continuing within it for about a quarter of an hour, he returned, bearing in his hand, fome beautiful pieces of white fpar, which art could neither imitate nor equal. Upon being informed by him that the place was full of thefe beautiful incruftations, I ventured in once more with him, about fifty paces, anxiously and cautiously defcending, by a steep and dangerous way. Finding, however, that we came to a precipice which led into

a fpacious amphitheatre, (if I may fo call it,) ftill deeper than any other part, we returned, and being provided with a ladder, flambeau, and other things to expedite our defcent, our whole company, man by man, ventured into the fame opening; and defcending one after another, we at last saw ourselves all together in the moft magnificent part of the cavern.”

SECTION IV.

The Grotto of Antiparos continued.

"OUR candles being now all lighted up, and the whole place completely illuminated, never could the eye be prefented with a more glittering, or a more magnificent scene. The whole roof hung with folid ificles, tranfparent as glafs, yet folid as marble. The eye could scarcely reach the lofty and noble cieling; the fides were regularly formed with spars; and the whole prefented the idea of a magnificent theatre, illuminated with an immense profufion of lights. The floor confifted of folid marble: and, in feveral places, magnificent columns, thrones, altars, and other objects, appeared, as if nature had defigned to mock the curiofities of art. Our voices, upon fpeaking or finging, were redoubled to an aftonishing loudness; and upon the firing of a gun, the noife and reverberations were almost deafening. In the midft of this grand amphitheatre rose a concretion of about fifteen feet high, that, in fome measure, refembled an altar; from which, taking the hint, we caufed mass to be celebrated there. The beautiful columns that fhot up round the altar, appeared like candlesticks; and many other natural

objects reprefented the customary ornaments of this rite."

"Below even this fpacious grotto there feemed another cavern; down which I ventured with my former mariner, and defcended about fifty paces by means of a rope. I at laft arrived at a small fpot of level ground, where the bottom appeared different from that of the amphitheatre, being composed of foft clay, yielding to the prefsure, and in which I thruft a tick to the depth of fix feet. In this, however, as above, numbers of the most beautiful crystals were formed; one of which, particularly, resembled a table. Upon our egrefs from this amazing cavern, we perceived a Greek infcription upon a rock at the mouth, but fo obliterated by time, that we could not read it diftinctly. It feemed to import that one Antipater, in the time of Alexander, had come hither; but whether he penetrated into the depths of the cavern, he does not think fit to inform us." This account of so beautiful and ftriking a scene, may ferve to give us fome idea of the fubterraneous wonders of nature.

SECTION V.

GOLDSMITH.

Earthquake at Catanea.

ONE of the earthquakes moft particularly defcribed in hiftory, is that which happened in the year 1693; the damages of which were chiefly felt in Sicily, but its motion was perceived in Germany, France, and England. It extended to a circumference of two thoufand fix hundred leagues; chiefly affecting the