n our path, the pole was planted against
it as readily as ever, but it slipped, just as Tuba put forth his
strength to turn the bow off. We struck hard, and were half-full of
water in a moment; Tuba recovered himself as speedily, shoved off the
bow, and shot the canoe into a still shallow place, to bale out the
water. Here we were given to understand that it was not the medicine
which was at fault; that had lost none of its virtue; the accident was
owing entirely to Tuba having started without his breakfast. Need it be
said we never let Tuba go without that meal again?

We landed at the head of Garden Island, which is situated near the middle
of the river and on the lip of the Falls. On reaching that lip, and
peering over the giddy height, the wondrous and unique character of the
magnificent cascade at once burst upon us.

It is rather a hopeless task to endeavour to convey an idea of it in
words, since, as was remarked on the spot, an accomplished painter, even
by a number of views, could but impart a faint impression of the glorious
scene. The probable mode of its formation may perhaps help to the
conception of its peculiar shape. Niagara has been formed by a wearing
back of the rock over which the river falls; and during a long course of
ages, it has gradually receded, and left a broad, deep, and pretty
straight trough in front. It goes on wearing back daily, and may yet
discharge the lakes from which its river--the St. Lawrence--flows. But
the Victoria Falls have been formed by a crack right across the river, in
the hard, black, basaltic rock which there formed the bed of the Zambesi.
The lips of the crack are still quite sharp, save about three feet of the
edge over which the river rolls. The walls go sheer down from the lips
without any projecting crag, or symptoms of stratification or
dislocation. When the mighty rift occurred, no change of level took
place in the two parts of the bed of the river thus rent asunder,
consequently, in coming down the river to Garden Island, the water
suddenly disappears, and we see the opposite side of the cleft, with
grass and trees growing where once the river ran, on the same level as
that part of its bed on which we sail. The first crack is, in length, a
few yards more than the breadth of the Zambesi, which by measurement we
found to be a little over 1860 yards, but this number we resolved to
retain as indicating the year in which the Fall was for the first time
car