Part 14 (2/2)
The residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of limestone--The arch approaches the seer axis of the ellipsis, which would be the chord of the arch, is h the sides of this bridge are provided in some parts with a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them, and look over into the abyss You involuntarily fall on your hands and feet, creep to the parapet, and peep over it Looking down froave me a violent head-ache If the view frohtful in an equal extre from the sublime, to be felt beyond what they are here: so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing as it were up to heaven! The rapture of the spectator is really indiscribable!
The fissure continuing narrow, deep, and straight, for a considerable distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very pleasing view of the North Mountain on one side and Blue Ridge on the other, at the distance each of thee is in the county of Rockbridge, to which it has given nae over a valley, which cannot be crossed elsewhere for a considerable distance The strea under it is called Cedar creek It is a water of Jarist-h its fountain is not more than two miles above”
I confess that I alad to have taken the trouble of coreatest wonders of nature I have ever beheld; and I have seen Vesuvius and the Phlegrean fields, the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, the Island of Staffa, and the Falls of Niagara! The brook under the bridge was almost dry; the most majestic view is from below
On the 23d of Novee, and returned to Staunton in a crowded stage, in which were four gentle to Washi+ngton I took side the coachman, where I had ton by the road we left it Having stopped for a short while here, I was the object of much curiosity to the Gerton was first established about forty years ago, and it now contains eleven hundred inhabitants In its vicinity upon a hill, is a large arsenal covered with zinc, belonging to the United States
Froh the considerable villages of Brownsburgh and Middleburgh The road was in soh; but we sometimes found a side road, which in that dry season was still very good; it ran generally through a forest We saw lonely houses and met with many travellers on horseback, several of them ell dressed white women All our coachmen in this state hites; I was surprised at this, knowing that black coachmen could be had at a cheaper rate, and was told that in this state, blacks were not allowed to drive the e
On the 24th of Nove, we set out from Staunton in a hired coach, in order to pass by a circuitous route the celebrated Wier's cave, and thence continue our journey to Charlotteville, whither we had sent our heavy baggage by the stage
As far as Wier's cave, eighteen s in a lonely house belonging to Mr Mohler, a Gerh a hilly, woody country; many breaks in the earth presented limestone rocks, and announced the proxihtful, forin the woods two flocks of partridges, which left the road, only to give way to the passing carriage, and then settled at not more than ten paces froreat number of snipes Mohler's house is situated on a considerable creek, called the South river, which by rist-s to a miller, who has also a whiskey distillery, and upwards of one hundred acres of land, with four negro slaves He cultivates wheat, soreat quantity of Indian corn His ed very coe steam-mill at Baltimore There are only two pairs of stones, one for wheat, and the other for Indian corn The boulted flour is conveyed to the upper floor by means of elevators, and spread upon it by a rake, which has a circular and horizontal motion, in order to cool it He sends his flour packed up in barrels to Richmond, and even to Baltirist-mill, a saw-mill, and a h not in a large quantity; this year, on account of the dryness, it has failed
The entrance of the cave is about a mile and a half from Mohler's house, and is situated in the middle of a steep side of a mountain on the bank of the South river We crept down the hollow, every one provided with a taper, and came directly into a space where we could stand up; there were some beautiful stalactites, mostly in columns This place is called the antichaon's room, froon Several of the stalactites are not unlike waterfalls; one of theallery is called the Devil's gallery, froure in, than to that of a devil
A whole stratum of the stalactites detached from the roof of the cavern, was as it were, suspended between heaven and earth, and afforded a fine view, especially as a new formation of stalactites took place between the roof and the suspended stratue leads into a more spacious cavern called Soloular andfrom the roof down to the floor Not far from that cavern is another, na down in form of hides in a tannery Then we came into another vault, which is called the druainst the stalactites, they give a sound rese the fored in circles, produce all the sounds of an octave, if struck with a stick You pass afterwards through a narrow passage, by an opening, which looks like an antique torave, in commemoration of an individual of that name who fell in there By h s, called the ball-room, in which benches are placed; I was told that visitors having ladies with the Then you ascend another ladder, and creep on all fours through a narrow hollohich has been partly enlarged by a mine, when you arrive at a natural, but very slippery staircase, called Jacob's ladder, which you descend; then passing through a narrow dungeon, you get into a more spacious room, named Senate-chaallery, called Washi+ngton-hall, fro in thethe forton's statue
Not far from this statue, there is a sh very thirsty, I did not venture to drink, having so water from limestone rocks
Next to this hall, is a place in which the stalactites covering the rock, have a shi+ning crystalline-like surface, wherefore this vault is called the diae saloon called the dining roo not unlike a side-board set with bottles and tuton-hall there is a heap of this filtered stone, called the hay-stack, and over it hangs another stalactite, having the for room, we passed into the last cave, that had been hitherto visited, by the name of Jefferson's-hall, in which are seen several clefts, and I ae could be easily opened, and new caves discovered In different spots of the cavern, where the crust of the stalactites is broken,hollohich have not yet been exa, seems the more worth while, as this cave is probably in communication with the Madison's cave, which was discovered by Jefferson, o, and is in the sa only three hundred yards distant from that of Wier's cave
Wier's cave was discovered in the year 1806, by a Gerer visited; it is said also, that its finest stalactites have been destroyed by the indiscretion of strangers
My attention in Wier's cave, was particularly attracted by plates, which ca from it, so that new stalactites have been for the others a very singular fore shell of lass The cave is of course da of water, but it is less so than I expected, and less than is the case in such caves in Gerh, and the air very pure Our candles burnt with a bright fla
Froan our rather difficult retreat, and ca
We spent the rest of the evening with our friendly landlord, by a chi in the year 1765, with the portraits of my ancestors, the Grand Duke William IV, the Grand Duke Bernhard, and others
It was interesting to me, to be reminded of inia, and beyond the Blue Ridge
On the 25th of November, we set out for Charlotteville, thirty-two e The road is through a country little cultivated, and without a single village; and the number of separate houses could scarcely be one about five e, which affords an agreeable view, being overgroood up to the top Then we entered a narrow valley, and when the road began to ascend, we alighted and walked over the mountains I was surprised to find the road less steep than I expected, and it was also pretty good Fro ones, we had many fine views of the mountains The wood consisted of oak trees, and different kinds of nut trees; here and there were colossal fir, larch, Weyreen rhododendrons, for which so here in abundance, also wild vines, which wind themselves round the trees The prospect on the mountains would have been s, butonly two ro faht miles over the mountains; and wecrossed the Blue Ridge, we arrived at a good-looking country house, and a mill called Brown's Farm, situated at the base of the mountains, and took our dinner there This house is surrounded by fields belonging to it, and from its piazza there is a very fine view of the mountains From this place we had yet twenty miles to Charlotteville
The road became less hilly, at least we had no h, and ere rudely jolted About eight o'clock in the evening we reached Charlotteville, in which the houses appeared to be scattered In its vicinity is a new establishinia The nextent to see the university, which is one mile distant from the town
This establishment has been open since March, 1824, and it is said to have already one hundred and thirty students; but a spirit of insubordination has caused s are all new, and yet some of them seem to threaten to fall in, whichchiefly built of wood The interior of the library was not yet finished, but according to its plan it will be a beautiful one The dome is made after the model of the Pantheon in Rome, reduced one half This place is intended for public s of the academy: but it is said that an echo is heard in case of loud speaking, which renders the voice of the speaker unintelligible
Under the rotunda are three elliptical halls, the destination of which is not yet entirely deter, I was told is to be a very fine one; the capitals were s on the right and left are not at all regularly built, but each of them in a different manner, so that there is no har a beautiful and arden walls of the lateral building are also in crooked lines, which gives thes have been executed according to Mr Jefferson's plan, and are his hobby; he is rector of the University, in the construction of which the state of Virginia is said to have laid out considerable suentleet some information, and we had every reason to be satisfied with his politeness It was Dr Dunglison, professor of lishman, and came last year with three other professors from Europe
He showed us the library, which was still inconsiderable, and has been provisionally arranged in a lecture roo others a series of Kotzebue's calendar of drareat quantity of books was co from Europe
The university is situated on a hill in a very healthy situation, and there is a very fine view of the Blue Ridge President Jefferson invited us to a fale hackney-coach, and this being absent, ere obliged to go the three miles to Monticello on foot
We went by a pathway, through well cultivated and enclosed fields, crossed a creek nah shape, and without rails; then ascended a steep hill overgroood, and came on its top to Mr Jefferson's house, which is in an open space, walled round with bricks, for, whose shorter sides are rounded; on each of the longer sides are portals of four colue, and our long walk, caused such a delay, that we found the company at table e entered; but Mr
Jefferson came very kindly to meet us, forced us to take our seats, and ordered dinner to be served up anew He was an old e, of tall stature, plain appearance, and long white hair