Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-06-12
WESTERN VIRGINIA.

From :he Correspondent of Portland Advertiser
"A the fates will have it. have the luck to
have TIM much water on the land. and too much
land e., the water Thus hump OH Cumber-
land bar, and scrape over the sands OF Hurricane
leland. when ascending the Ohio IN steam boat:
or swim the torrent-ike creeks OF Georgia anu
Alabama, or am pent UP. as am here, oy some
incons,derable rivulet, which rain makes H.
yer of. 1t ia astonishing to see the rap"ity VIII"
which a little creek will swell IN the southern
and western states A stream scarcely percen'
tib,e in common weather, becomes here alter
short rain, a foaming and dangerous toireh''
rushing over nOcks.wlth great violence ana pre-
cipitating every thing headstrong. Last hurs
day night. for example, 10 gong up the 'a,'ey u
the Kanawha. shower fell upon us-n shower
nothing remarkable thought, but ra.her oeass
and strons perhaps and all at once was awaK-
ened from a comfortable sleep by crash among
loose rocks. the stumbling of the stage horses
and the rush Of flaming current from the noun,
tain ON the left. Where is one! What Is ms.
How nov! one asks in such a situation. but the
driver nppeased our alarm with the answer ."at
we we're in no danger, that this was usually
drv place. thougl, a large waterfall coma not
have made more mise, and though the wa'er was
over the fore wheels of our stage. mus snow
er had in tn entv or thirty minutes made httle
river ont of this place, which in three hours
hence would be nearly dry aga'n-so swiftly ana
with 80 much impetuosity does the RAIN rush
from the mountains. After this little adventure
We enjoyed some Of the pleasures OF travelling.
We got out Of our coach on rails laid upon the
rocks We crossed the creek on stage morse
clingine to the driver. we walked throusn the
thick darkness, two miles. by the all OF loren
we brought ur at another creek, near which
| > ftora thp
we walked up the landlord, who had but one
room. and one bed, as could see-his negroes
sIrepine BY him on the floor, stretched out at
length, and a waggoner who was suing over the
| mountains sleeping in blanket with his head on
a chair, not far frnm the negroes. lay down on
another chair, with my feet to the lire; threw my
surtOut over me, and was SOON asleep again, as
comfortable az ever-from which did not awake
till the driver came along with little wagon
and our t,unks. All this is hard fare. but It IS
amusing, and am growing hardy upon 1t.
There were five passengers. Two went with
the driver and the baggage, who, by the way.
! left the coach in the creek, and the other three
mou nted the stage horses, and started Tor - the
stand" three miles off, 1t was as dark as dark.
ness could be- noun, no stars, not even the
glmmerng of ray Of light except that OF the
fire flies that filled the air. We were in the val.
lev of the Kanhawa, with huge hills and shelving
rocks upon our left, and the now noisy Kanhawa
on our right. The road was narrow but gond.
We followed the lead of the drivers wagon.and
he conducted us in safety to the tavern at the
Falls of the Kanhawa, where we supped alter
midnight, and from whence We soon started
again Oh our journey. -,
But 90 back with me to Guyando,te. There
is good turnpike from this placc-as yet know
not how far, bit reaching certainly as tar as the
Warm Springs, not all finished, bntnear'y So
A good turnpike soy, for do let US give Virs-
MIA all the credit she deserves. since she has such
a borror Of internal improvements, and such
passion TO have the most wretched roads Of any
of the old States This turnpike as far as Charles
ton on the Kauhawa, is not remarkably billy
1t winds at times around some Of the hills 1t
gives one many fine views of enchanting scenery.
Ii puts one at times on the verge OF the preelPce,
and then again on the valley OF the river: 1t
carries one through country, not very rich nor
very poor, with few good farms, but more poor
oues-by same ine rich houses, one or two pa'a
ces U call them so BY way OF comParson) and
more log houses, the crannies OF which are stun
ed with mud--withost barns I'll for the hogs to
live in, or Sheds any other comforts Tor cattle.
This is not perhaps, a matter OF so much Impor-
lance, as the winters are Short and the spring is
early. The land in the vallies, by the margins
Of the rivers and the creeks. is good The
! fences are better than have seen IN many parts
Of Eastern Virginia. The slaves are lew, but
there are too many of them The people in gene
raj are thrifty enough aud happy; and # II in s ths
word population, there are included.the black
and the white, this part of Virginia is far better
off than parts Of Eastern Virginia. thous It is
not so rich-with not so many slave holders
and docs not make half SO much noise or talk
hall So much politics. Give me the mud houses
here in preference to the palaces, where the mas
ter has his hundreds of slaves, and his large
plantation. grow ing poor with all his negroes up;
on his hands. and finding it difficult to feed and
clothe them.
Charleston, so miles from Guyandotte, is
flourlshing and interesting place. About there
up The Kanhswa for eight or ten miles, all IS
smoke, smoke, smoke. from the salt works -
The good people of Charleston. | suspect, have
caus ht the mania. and seeing so much smoke
must smoke themselves, for | never saw 10 so
short a time SO many cigar.smokers. Every
mans mouth vas little steam engine, and pun,