Page:The crater; or, Vulcan's peak.djvu/12

 VI PREFACE. derful events related in these volumes have so long been hidden from the world. In answer to this we would ask if any one can tell how many thousands of years the waters have tumbled down the cliffs at Nia gara, or why it was that civilized men heard of the existence of this wonderful cataract so lately as only three centuries since. The fact is, there must be a beginning to everything ; and now there is a beginning to the world s knowing the history of Vulcan s Peak, and the Crater. Lest the reader, however, should feel disposed to reproach the past age with having been negligent in its collection of historical and geological incidents, we would again remind him of the magnitude of the events that so naturally occupied its attention. It is scarcely possible, for instance, for one who did not live forty years ago to have any notion how com pletely the world was engaged in wondering at Napo leon and his marvellous career, which last contained even more extraordinary features than anything related here ; though certainly of a very different character. All wondering, for near a quarter of a century, was monopolized by the French Revolution and its conse quences. There are a few explanations, however, which are of a very humble nature compared with the principal events of our history, but which may as well be given here. The Woolston family still exists in Pennsylva nia, and that, by the way, is something towards cor-