The average annual number of visitors to this beautiful place is estimated
to be 400,000.

At the station of Niagara Falls, Mr. James engaged vehicles which afforded
accommodations for all of us--a party of ten--including the steward, who
accompanied us, carrying a bountiful repast.

The drivers of Niagara Falls are excellent _ciceroni_. We drove through
the handsome village to Prospect Park, a property owned by the State of
New York, and included in the Niagara Reservation, which the State
acquired by purchase in 1885. All the unsightly buildings, heretofore
obstructing the view, have been removed, and a terrace was erected for a
distance of half a mile, affording uncountable attractions to the visitor
with its venerable trees, comfortable seats, and delightful views.

The main entrance is a tasty structure at the foot of Cascade Street. The
point of land at the brink of the falls is called _Prospect Point_. Since
it commands a fine view, which is the feature of the park, our drivers
advised us to abandon the carriages and to step nearer to the long stone
wall running for some distance along the edge of the gorge.

Standing on the platform, I glanced at the mighty volume of water; here
precipitated over a huge rock 163 feet high with a thunderlike roar that
can be heard, under favorable circumstances, a distance of fifteen miles.

For a long time we remained there, spell-bound by the wonderful panorama,
plunged into a reverie of rapture. Mrs. James, reminding me the carriages
were waiting for us, brought me back to consciousness.

The spectacle is so sublime and overwhelming that the mind, unable to