Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-02-05

| BY the undermining Of the current,
and after being washed into the stream,
the roots become imbedded in the bot
tom, leaving the boughs projecting out
| of the water. They are worn off by
contact with boats, and by the drift
wood, until they present nothing but a
stump, so firmly fixed, that if boat
coming up stream strikes one of them,
it pierces through and sinks her with
out remedy. Sa,oyers differ only in
being less firmly fixed in the ground,
SO that they are constantly rising and
falling by the forcing of the current,
and the undulation of the water. They
testify great respect, by continually
6o,cing as you pass; but with all their
complaisance, in the true courtier style,
show you very little mercy, if you, in
any way, chance to interfere with them
"a vast portion of the most fertile
land in the world lies waste along this
river, and must forever remain so, ow-
ing to the foundations of the stream.
At the highest stages Of the water, in
some places, a space of more than l6o
miles in diameter, is flooded. Here
and there the bank presents spot of
greater elevation, on which a solitary
cabin is erected, the owners of which
mostly live by selling wood to the steam
boats; and twice in each year, in spring
and autumn, they witness around them
a general deluge. The difference from
the lowest to the highest stages Of the
river, l am informed, is about forty
FIVE feet.
"Among the natural curiosities l
have visited in my tour is Wier's Cave,
which is situated in spurs Of the Black
Ridge in Virginia. Its length is about
900 yards. Its entrance is by narrow
aperture in a rock, which gradually o.
pening as you advance, presents to your
view spacious chamber, decorated all
around with organisations and petri-
factions of the most beautiful transpa-
rency, hanging like icicles around the
walls of the cavern. Many of these,
when struck with a stick, produce
sounds as sweet, melodious, and diver
sifed, as the tones of an organ or pi-
ano. The cave is divided into great
variety of apartments, all Of which are
hung round with these beautiful sta
lactites, presentinga great diversity OF
shapes and formations.
1.-THE rooms have acquired different
names, conforming in some instances
with their respective peculiarities, and
in others, originating in circumstances
attending the visits thither. One is
called the ballroom, and has in one or
two instances been appropriated to that
use, by parties ofladies and gentlemen
from Stanton, on which occasion the
room was brilliantly Illuminated. The
combined effect of the music and light,
in a place which seemed almost to
speak itself, decorated too and spark
ling with elegant transparencies, must
have been next to enchantment; and if
one, without any previous knowledge
Of the existence Of such a place, could
have suddenly been presented with
view of it on this occasion, and could
have seen the fine, airy, and sylph-like
forms of the Virginia ladies, Stripping
it on light fantastic toe" in the varied
mazes of the dance, he would have re-
quired no legendary occurrences, or IA
bled stories, to have believed he was
transported into fairy region.
81 find it impossible for me to give
you any adequate notion of the place.
I can neither describe to you the deep
solemnity that strikes on the mind, on
entering it, nor the enthusiasm of feel
ing, and the varied emotion l felt, when
the first impressions had given way to
those of succeeding wonder and admi-
ration. A deep and death-like silence
reigns around you, as you recede from
the light Of the mouth, interrupted on
ly by the occasional dropping of the
water, and your own footsteps OF voice
which echo through the cavern, as if
the presiding spirit of the gloomy re-
gion was warning you Of the horror,
which seem only to surround you. All
is impenetrabie darkness before you,
and appears to have acquired deeper
shade Of gloom from the reflected glare
of your touch.
"Amid such a scene as this, the
mind involuntarily reverts to the le-
gendary tales of the "olden time" and
| almost imagines the Genii of the ca
vern are stalking around with noiseless
step, breathing vengeance for the sa-
crilegious intrusion. But when, as
you advance, the receding darkness is
dispelled by the blaze of your lights,
the beauties of the place begin to dis
close themselves; your vision becomes
familiarized with the sombre shade that
still surrounds you; and the pleasure of
the scene is heightened by the contrast