'Tis pouring, 'tis pouring With a wild eternal roar; Like a sea, that's burst its barriers Resounding evermore: Like an ocean lash'd to fury, And toiling to o'erwhelm With its devastating billows The earth's extended realm.
It falleth, still it falleth, A deluge o'er the rocks; It calleth, still it calleth, With tones likes earthquake shocks: For ever and for ever, It sounds its mighty hymn; Like a thousand anthems pealing In some cathedral dim.
The dark pines shrink and tremble As o'er the abyss they lean, And falling are ingulf'd like reeds With all their branches green; And oaks from northern mountains, O'erwhelm'd by some fierce blast, Are rent like autumn flowerets, In that vast caldron cast.
A thousand years ago the tribes In wonder trod its side: Those tribes have vanish'd, but the Fall Still pours as full a tide; A thousand more may pass away-- A future race of men May view the awful cataract Unchang'd dash down its glen.
How passing vain doth mortal pride Beside this torrent seem! An army doth not march to war With half its sound and gleam; While o'er it, like a banner, The rainbow spreads its fold, Colored with prismy glories Of purple and of gold.
The wild deer of the forest At the river stoop to drink, But from the rush of waters All panic-stricken shrink; And the mountain eagles sailing O'er the cataract's foaming brim Alarmed, on soaring pinions, Away, o'er Heaven's clouds skim.
O! who that views the wonders Of Nature o'er the earth; The high o'erhanging mountains Where thunders have their birth: And this eternal torrent, Majestically grand-- Can doubt the Spirit's presence, And a Creating Hand?
On the following day the Oneidas resumed their march, and at nightfall reached an American military post, then just established at the entrance of the Niagara river, on the shore of Lake Ontario, called the Fort Niagara. The Oneidas entered within the barriers of the little stockade fortress, and there established their camp, and were soon busily engaged in arranging a treaty with the commandant of the place. Wauchee followed closely after, like a bloodhound on the trail, and selected his camp in a little grove just without the gates of the fortress. He then boldly sauntered within the walls, and mingled with cool indifference among the groups of soldiery, and the armed warriors of his foe. But under the semblance of friendship, lurked the fire of a spirit burning with hatred; and he could scarce restrain himself from plunging among them, and immolating numbers on the spot. Still the wary prudence of the savage restrained his hand, and he continued for a day or two to mingle in peace among them. The crafty Oneidas soon suspected the designs of the stranger, and they conferred among themselves, as to the surest mode of guarding against the meditated blow of Wauchee. They well recognized by his paint and garb the Mohawk warrior, and they resolved to baffle his assault, and for ever prevent his return to the people of his tribe.