Melincourt July 20th

After dinner I set off on a ramble to Melincourt, a waterfall on the North-Side of the Valley, and about six miles from our Inn. I found the canal path very foul; the canal overflowing in many places from the rain and the river very turbid and swelled. I crossed the river by a tottering slippery bridge with more safety than I expected; and soon rambled my way out to the Village of Melincourt. Here I got a little damsel for my guide who could not speak a word of English. We however talked together all the way to the fall though neither knew what the other said.—I fancy it is not often she is elevated to the rank of guide for she seemed proud of her office and was extremely solicitous to fill it with honor. She carefully pointed out the dirty and clean places and ran on so fast in her spirit of readiness as to leave me far behind.—I was delighted with her burst of pleasure as on turning a corner she first showed me the waterfall and then ran along more and more rapidly that she might bring me under the stream before I could recover from the impression it had first made on me. There she placed me on a stone and then throwing her arms towards the torrent chattered most volubly in welch. I suppose about its beauties and its force. The stream had been much swelled by the rain and fell in grandeur over the abrupt rocks which terminated its higher bed. Here as in almost all the other falls the stream descended freely through the air the rocks receding from it behind and leaving it to combat wind. The body of water was considerable and yet it became so minutely divided in its descent as to run like a mere film thrown before the cliffs and every leaf of the trees behind it could be distinguished. Its height was perhaps 70 feet but I found impossible to form a moderately certain estimate. Two or three light airy falls occurred at the sides of the larger one diversifying the rock and softening down its rugged character.