Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-11-20

. '!cN VI I'M,
tains Tor somewhat more than ".
farming for IFS bed an awful gnIr
for its bank stuprndnns fronts nf ' a
rock. ike those of the river y;,s W
Just below IFS great cataract, and S S
tennessee river. below the fall Of a
stream. few miles above Lake a.
rio. Those banks Of Tallulab Az, :,
by its water in many places into c,,
vans and sr"tesquc figures. and ,@
iihe sides are perpendicular and sm
bcyund The means nf art to imit,,.
Just at the head, and also at the fn.,
the Rapids, The banks of TalluIab r;,
are ct not more than ordinary he,g
above common water. In the inte,S
diate distance the height of the b,,
varies fro0 600 to 500 feet pcrDer%
cular.
! The width Of the river is from 70
feet. There are four perpendim
pitches of water from 81 tn so feet .,
a great many smaller cataracts Of frol
10 to 60 fect perpendicular pitch,
am confident that within the exter,
the rapids, say mile, the fall of wal,
is not less than 500 or $50 feet, T1
distance and measure | have given a,
by estimation, for | had no means
accurate computation-but the dists,
ces stated, are the minimum estimsrs
of the Company who were with N.
/ Consisting of four respectable and h
telligent persons.) There are but w.
or three points by which person ca
possibly descend to the bed of the rive
and these are the tracks of small rhr
lets, emptying themselves into til" VIZ,
! side, Oh the river and making several
very steep precipices, which one NAV
+; possibly pass by aid from the shrubb,.
ry that grows in the hoIlows {: Whpua.|
rived at the waters edge, to look OUT
at tie opening of the great cliffs abOy,|
is surprising. interesting. alarming
These cliffs combined with the foamms,
roaring, bounding, impetuous current
Of water, exhibit novelty, beauty aud
! grandeur in the first impression on lAt
mind of Che visitor as he approaches Sd
near to the edge of the precipice, as .
get sight of the water, is alarming ye.
inviting awful, yet grand and sublime,
At the instant he views the Currsn.
some hundred feet below him, h,
shrinks back in apprehension of his own
destruction--stiIl curious to view i
more, he cautiously advances again, til
by dcgl ees he fecomes so familiar to Til
scenery as to be dissatisfied from it,
AT every step the visitor observes soHt
new dress that adds new interest to Tx
scenery. But there is no tinseIed OF
mament on the banks of TalIulah. Ii
wild. uncultiy ated and barren country
10 art has been introduced to delar
this grand exhibition of nature-is
neigbborhood is inhabited onl. by Zero
cious beasts of prey. bears, wolves, am
Wild cats, and soaring eagles, and fair!
people*--and has scarcely been visite
until very lately, even by the advenu
rous huntsman and his hounds. Soup
tured Chasms and fronts, elevated pOr
tails, formidable stockades, impregna
bic fortresscs, deep perpendicular cas-
cades, and successi, bounding currents
added to the several rainbows that Con
tinualIy shine (when the sun does thro
the spray that rises from the falling va
ter, and the variegated cOlors in tn
front Of the rocky banks, Of red. " lite
yellow and brown--and the small ri,u
lets that pour down into the gulf froI
the mountains top, give novelty, beau
ty, sublin,ity and awe, to the Rapids 0
Tallulah. Here the bare curiosity of
visitor may be satisfied in week--bu
the intellectual appetite may be feaste
for--an age.
The cataract of Niagara, and it
great whirlpool and banks, is the onl
superior natural curiosity to the RAPID
of Tallulah, that 1 have ever seen.-
From the summit of a mountain on tn
vest bank of the river near the lowe
fall. is the finest general view afforde
Oh that side OF the stream--but froT
several cliffs on the east bank may b
had extensive and highly interestin
genc,alyiews Of this enchanting scener!
One objection TO this picturesque sp'
is the great prevalence of the sewers
In the face of the rock forming The banI
or bounds Of tie river, are several caverns.-
One of these in the east bank about so te'
below the summit and about 300 feet fro