The Sun.
London, England, 1804-12-15 00:00:00

rods, when,lt instantly forms a frightful 'I;T C.:Tleei
k
ileeliding about half a mile, to the pond known
by the name of Long .Pon9l.
On the right and left of this fertile,ground, the
mountain rises in ciifts, and almost, iochses it, he.
ing a square of about one half acre. In the front
of the rock on the north, where the clic is, and
level with the ground, there appears to be,a large
&Ostrom of the rock, of
.a double fatharn size,
thrown out of the rock by some unknown cOnvul.
sion of nature,
,and. lies in front of the cavity from
whence it was rent, partFy inclosing the' mouth,
and forming a room of the same dimensions with
the frustruin itself ; the rock is left entire above,
and forms the roof of this humble mansion.

This cavity is. the habitatiOn of this hermitess, in
which she has spent twenty.three of het-best years,
self.excluded from all 'human society, She keeps
no domesticated animal, not•e'ven a foWl, a'cat, or a
dog. Her little plantation, consisting of one half
acte, is cleared of its wood, and reduced to grass,
hut she makes little use of it, excepting that she
has raised a few peach trees on it, and she plants
yearly a few 'sills of beans, CricumberS,
toes.. The whole. plat is 561;mA-tied:with a luxriant
growth of grape vines; which overspread all the sur..
rounding wood, and produce crape; in the greatest
abundance., Oa the opposite 4ttle of this little tene-
ment, or cave, is a .fine fountain of excellent water,
which issues from the side of the mountain, and
loses itself in this little plaCe.
At this fountain we.found the wonderful woman,
whose appearance it is a little difficult to describe ;
indeed, like nature in its first state, she was without
form, that is, she appeared in no form or position
had ever seen befOre ; her dress appeared little etst
but' one colt used and shapeless mass of rags, patched
together without any order, whiCh Eibb&tred any
human shape, excepting her head, which was Cloth•
ed with a tuxuriancy of lank grey hair, depending
on every side, just a. nature 'anti time had formed
it, wholly devoid of any artificial eoverihg ar.orna.
ment.

When. she had discovered -our approach, she exhi-
bited the appearance of • any other' wild and timid
animal. She started, looked' wild, hastened with the
utrno,t piecipita firm to tier, cave, which She entered,
and barricadoed the entrance with old shells which
she pulled from the dicayed trees. To-this bum.
file mansion lac. approAched; and after some'. cue.
versarion 'with her, we obtained liberty to remove
the' pallisadoes and look in ; for we'vrere not able
tv enter; the room being only sufficient to aecatit-
modate 'a ,single person. We conversed with her
fir; some considerable time, found her to lit of a
-sound mind, a religious turn of thought, and' to be
entirely happy ai.td contented' with the :
of this she has given soothers repeateddenuinstra.
tion, who have in Vain soliCited her to qUit this
dreary abode; We saw no utensil, 'either for.la.
hour or cookery, excepting an old petvter bacon,
and-a gourd-shell ; no' bed tat the solid rock, on.
less it were a few old rags, scattered here' and there
upon it ;. no bed elothes'of any kind; nur the least
appearance of any sort cf food, and no five.:
She had, indsial; a place in one corner of her Cell,
where she kindres a-fire at times, but it dciiss not ap.
peat that any fire has been kindled there this spring.
To confirm this opinion, a Gentleman says that he
passed her cell five or six days after the great fall of
snow in the beginning of March last ; that she had
no fire thin, and liad not been out of her cave since
the snow had fallen. flow she subsists during the
severe seasons is yet a mystery. She'says she eats
but tittle flesh of any kiciti, art.l it is difficult to ima.
gine hcrw she'll; supported'ilriough the winter sea.
son. In the summer she subsists on the berries,
nuts, and roots, which the mountains affoid. It
may be that she secretes her Winter Store in some
other fisgure in the rskle, more 'convenient 'for that
purpose than the cell she inhabits.

• She
S keeps a 'Bible with her, and says she takes
much satisfaetion, and spends much time in reading
in it, and meditating therein. It trity be, this
woman is a sincere worshipper of God ; if so, she is
yet more rich, wise, and happy, than thousands in
afiluenct, and honour, who' bebeld her with astonish.
meat and scorn. tkt any rate, from this humble,
yet astonishing page of !lonian nature, we read a
kno%t interesting !elute on the human heart. It
was the peculiar state of this wanton's heart which
drove her to forsake the society of man, and led
her to this solitary nartsinn. The peculiar relish of
the human heart, will embrace solitude, dishonour;
deformity, and death itself, for happiness; whilst its
.antipathie., cart Atbitter a paradise of joy. 'Reason
has no power against its influence ; it is not the
energy of science, bit a heart forced to a wise,de-
cent,' mid useful life, that- Mat regenerate the
world.