ca. Five columns now arose, and, bending in the direction of the
wind, they seemed placed against a low ridge covered with trees; the
tops of the columns at this distance appeared to mingle with the clouds.
They were white below, and higher up became dark, so as to simulate
smoke very closely. The whole scene was extremely beautiful; the banks
and islands dotted over the river are adorned with sylvan vegetation
of great variety of color and form. At the period of our visit several
trees were spangled over with blossoms. Trees have each their own
physiognomy. There, towering over all, stands the great burly baobab,
each of whose enormous arms would form the trunk of a large tree, beside
groups of graceful palms, which, with their feathery-shaped leaves
depicted on the sky, lend their beauty to the scene. As a hieroglyphic
they always mean "far from home", for one can never get over their
foreign air in a picture or landscape. The silvery mohonono, which in
the tropics is in form like the cedar of Lebanon, stands in pleasing
contrast with the dark color of the motsouri, whose cypress-form is
dotted over at present with its pleasant scarlet fruit. Some trees
resemble the great spreading oak, others assume the character of our own
elms and chestnuts; but no one can imagine the beauty of the view
from any thing witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by
European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by
angels in their flight. The only want felt is that of mountains in the
background. The falls are bounded on three sides by ridges 300 or
400 feet in height, which are covered with forest, with the red soil
appearing among the trees. When about half a mile from the falls, I left
the canoe by which we had come down thus far, and embarked in a lighter
one, with men well acquainted with the rapids, who, by passing down
the centre of the stream in the eddies and still places caused by many
jutting rocks, brought me to an island situated in the middle of the
river, and on the edge of the lip over which the water rolls. In coming
hither there was danger of being swept down by the streams which rushed
along on each side of the island; but the river was now low, and we
sailed where it is totally impossible to go when the water is high. But,
though we had reached the island, and were within a few yards of the
spot, a view from which would solve the whole problem, I believe that no
one could perceive where the va