The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register., 1824-11-04
TIE VALE OF JOCAS5A, AND THE
WHITE WATER

we extract an animated and poetic des-
chiffon of tile Vale of Jocasst, and the
White Water, situated i'll (irccnvillc dis
tiiCt.
From our camp near the Chatlga, one Of
the head waters Of Savannah, III lat ~ de
grces north, made an excursion to visit the
Vale of Jocassa. 1t was only four miles dis
tant, but a mountain interviewed, which COM
PEELED my hunter guide to make circuit OF
ten or dolca miles, crossed deep and mar
row glens, ana winding along the tops q
ridges, the ascents and descents of which
were 50 abrupt, as frequently TO obtisc Us 10
dismount ; al length, after very tilesoEc
rorlt, we reached the vale.
This TIM 95caRii is about four miles III
length, and from quarter to a half mile
wide The land is rich and well timbered;
the beech and American poplar, in particular,
large and beautiful. 1t II watercd by the la
cossa, which receives the White Water near
the northern extreme Of the Vale. The
White Water precipitates itself over a sue
succession Of falls extending few miles, roar
ing through the intractcd rocks dashing from
steep to steep, and foaming, till it at length
reaches a more quiet though stlllf stony bed,
and rolls its pure translucent stream along
the Vale.
This Vale contains seven families, who
have settled here within the last two years.
They are, properly speaking, without any
legal jurisdiction, as they live within the In
dian ttrrituv. They dwell in small logcaDins,
meanly built as they are all new settlers.
Some Of the comforts, and indeed nearly all
the luXuries of life, are il measure cxciud-
cd.-Ihcy live on bread, milk, and flesh,
wild or tame, but most generally the spoil Of
the chase. They have neither lawyer nor
physician for they need no law, and the me
dical plants Of their mountains are amply
sufficient for their scanty list Of diseases.
One supreme blessing, too is thcirs--they
have not slave amongst them. They are
clothed in tho work OF their own hands for
they ply the busy wheel and shuttle, and tie
deer supplies the mocas ms. the leggins, ard
not unfrequently the vest III the hunter.
A little learning too is theirs, though not to
them "a dangerous thing Near to the
village school and in a grove of lofty over
shadowing trees, We found the boys at play,
in the noon-day recess. The girls, less con-
fident retired, but peeped at the strangers
from their sylvan retreat. Happy people,
secluded from the ills ofpolishcd and uAurl-
our life,
The valley is encompassed by hills and
mountains so rough and prccipitous, that it is
inaccessible, except by two or three steep
winding paths and the encirclins hills so high
that the clouds sit upon their submits, and
seem to spread their wings TO shade the IA
vored and sequestercd spot.
The view Of Iocassa, rs looked down into
it on my approach, reminded INC of the nj
raj prison Of Rassclas, prince Of .Abyssinia;
but this WAS no pfison-tl finer image present
4 ed itself ! Thought On Miton's Paradise,
guarded by high umbrageous walls and wa
4 hit ri eli
of innocence and peace.
4 The stream called the DeVUS Fork enters
the valley near the south end and minglcs
\ with the Jaccssa. Ii is named from the deep
glens and dark entangled shades through
! which it flows; fit haunt, i'll rustic estimation
for demons and gcns.-Nor is this little spot
without some claim to the historians il ,ticc :,
for mere stood once an Indian village, but the
white DESTROYER came, and the Indian fell bv
his sword. Eyennow the hunter points where
4 the red warrior blcd, and shows his grave
At the south end, the valley nulrows to de-
flc the Indian had fortified the atattas, but
left the river open; our troops advanced in
silence under cover of the night, Killed the
watchman, whom they found asleep, pushed
up the stream, and destroyed the town.
1 Having had glimpse Of the White Wa
ter Fall from about six miles distance con-
IllluSCl that u tioSc NlSW Ol IL must De n4ilIN
interesting. \ few gentlemen Of onf com
pallY and myself formed a party to visit, III
the same time, the valley and the fall. We
set out from Major M'kinny's the last house
in South Carlina, and pursued our route along
the margin Of the Tcxaway, in path Access
sibe only to the horsemcn or foot passengers
On our right the 'fcXaway rolled its pclluc!d
current oyera rebhly he'd, in pleasing mtlre
murs; and on our left rose almost perpcn-
dicularly the rocks and hills, covered with
evcrgrcens; the hhododcndron, the kalmia
and the Mannolisa, wildly and beautifully
luXuriant In the valley We procured guides
/ to lead u3 to the foot of the falls
The White Water derives its name from
its numerous cataracts: that one by which it
iiings itself into the vale, is transccndantly
bcautiful.--At one place called the i'Hch,
the water rolls over an even ledge Of rocks,
forming an uncommonly elegant cascade,
about twenty feetpclpendicular, and creating
awind that keeps the foliage below in constant
notion The brilliant whitencss OF the WA
ter, through itswhole descent contrastet with
the hucs of the surrounding scenery, has an
uncommon effect, and jrstihes the appell,,-
ton by which the river is distinguished.
In describing such scene of beauty, one
feels at a loss for adequate words and images
Some compare it to cotton thrown from a
machine, some to a river Of milk but it
would be, in my opinion no easy task to con-
vey correct idea oft in language OF in pain
t;ntr I found the yholp Scen,, cu;taI Ia ,,ro