American watchman and Delaware advertiser., 1826-08-15
THE NATURAL BRIDGE, OR A SCENE
IN VIRGINIA.

| On lovely morning, towards the close of spring
found myself in very beautiful part OF the Grea,
Valley oi Virginia. Spurred onward BY impatience.
behed the sun rising in splendor, and changing
the blue tints on the tops of the lofty Allegheny
mountains into streams OF the puiest gold, and ma
ture seemed to smile in the freshness Of beauty A
ride OF about fifteen miles, and pleasant woodland
rambe Of about two, brought myself and companion
TO the great Natural Bridge.
Although l had been anxionsy looking forward
to this time, and my mind had been considerably
excited by expectation yet was not altogether pre-
pared for the visit. This great work of nature is
considered by many as the second great curiosity
of our country, Niagara Falls being the first. DO
not expect to convey very correct idea of this
bridge, for no description can do this.
The Natural Bridge is entirely the work Of God.
1t is OF solid limestone, and connects two huge
mountains together by most beautiful arch, over
which there is great wagon road. Its length from
one mountain TO the other is nearly 80 feet its
width about 55. and its thickness abou, As, and its
perpendicular height the water is no, far from
two hundred and twenty feet. A few bushes grow
on its top, by which the traveller may hold himself
as he looks over. On each side OF the stream, and
near the bridge, are rocks projecting ten or fifteen
feet over the water, and from two hundred 10 three
hundred from its surface, all OF limestone. The
vislter cannot give so good a description Of this
bridge as he can OF his feelings at the time. He
softly creeps out on shaggy, projecting rock, and
looking down chasm OF from forty to sixty feet
vide. he sees, three hundred feet below, wild
stream, dashng against the rocks beneath as ter
ri6ed at the rocks above. The stream is called Cedar
Greek. The visiter here sees trees under the arch,
whose height is seventy feet, and yet to look down
upon them, they appear like small bushes of perhaps
two or three feet in height. saw several birds y
under the arch, and they looked like insects
threw down stone, and counted lhriy four before
it reached the water. All hear OF heights, but they
here see what is high, and they tremble, and feel
1t TO be deep. The awful rocks present thcr ever
lasting abutments, the wAter murmurs and foams
Ear below, and the two mountains rear their proud
heads on each side, separated by channel OF sub
Unity. Those who view the sun, the moon and
the stars, and allow that none bu; God could make
them, will here be impressed tha, none but an ~
mighty God could build bridge like this.
The view of the bridge from below, is pleasing as
the top is awful. The arch from beneath would
seem to be about two feet in thickness. Some idea
of the dis ance, from the top to the bottom, may be
formed, from the fact, that when stood on the
bridge, and my companion beneath, neither of us
could speak with sufficient oudness TO be heard by
the other a man from either view does not appear
more than four or five inches in height.
As we stood under the beautiful arch, we saw the
place where vsiters have often taken the pains 10
engrave their names upon the rock. Here Wash
ington climbed m twenty hye feet, and carved his