Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-12-03
Mrsczzr.Awx
Extract from Me Pietnresqe History Of NoYm
Carolina, BY ]. S. JoNGs, Of .saocco.
ROANOKE ISLAND

So coldly sweet, so deadly fair,
We start, for soul is wanting there.
have never wandered over The island Of
Roanoke without a feeling Of melancholy
as intense as that Of Byron, whilst contem.
plating the fallen greatness OF Gresce.-
THE days of her glory are over, and gone
with those beyond the food but still she
is 10 me an Island Of the heart, for her
shores are the graves Of the warlike and
the wise. The native Iedian built his ma.
%clicomack on her hills ; and there. loo.
stood the city of Raleigh, The birth place
Of the Anglo American,-and thus was
Roanoke known long before The beach Of
jamestown was settled or The rock Of Ply.
mouth consecrated. She is the classic
land Of all English America, and will live
in the future story OF our republic as the
mother earth Of American liberty. The
illns,rious names of Raleigh,of C~ayendish.
OF G~rcensille, and ofDrake-the heroes
Of the reign oil Eiizabeth-ar are a part and
portion OF her history. ~I!ariot, the ma
themaiician ard philosopher Of the age,
for the space of whcic year studied its
natural resousces and lndian history, and
nearly two hundred and fifty years since
gave The world a book unequal "a FOR thn
accuracy and interest ol Its details. II
would seem. indeed, as ifthe chiyalfy and
learning Of that age had contributed this
splendid representation TO gisc a dazzliag
briaiancy TO the eally history Of that State
ON whose shores the Gag OF England was
FIRST uniurled, and in whose valley and
over whose hills the mountain Goddess
Liberty first shouted the CRY Of American
independence. Bear witness Meclenburg
on the go Of May. 1875.
BUTT is not historic association alone
which makes sacred the shores ard vine
clad forests of Roanoke. Nature seems
20 have exerted herself TO adorn it as The
Eden of the new world The richest gar.
niinrc Of flowers, and the sweetest min.
strelsy Of birds are there. 10 traversing
the northern section Of Island, in The
spfiug Time Of year. flowers aud sweet
scented herbs, in The widest luxuriance,
are sirewn along your winding path, vel
coming you with their fragrance 10 their
isle. The wild rose bush, when at times
springs up into nurseries of a hundred
yards in extent, :" blooms blushingn TO the
song OF the thousand birds that are bask
ing in her bowers. Tie mecking bird,
TOO, whatever ornalioiegists may say offs
"chimney habits, ? makes this his ~favari.e
haunt, and | have myself seen him pillow
ed on the highest cluster of roses, and
swinging with his weight the slender. tree
as he warbled ont his most exqqisite song
Il may be, however, that Roanoke is the
very spot where in imitation Of TIE East
ern Green Of song, the moeking bird fell
in love with the rose.
There arc stately pine forests extending
along tie centre Of the ~Ialand-hut The
most beautiful Of its trees are what are
commonly called dog wood, the laurel,
and a delicate species ofthe white oak.
have seen a forest composed Of these trees
the branches and limbs Of which were lit
orally in,ertwisted and Knitted together by
the embraces of the Roanoke vine. which
here. in its native garden, grows with ex'
traordinary exuberance.
Within the deep shades Of these recli-
ming viniages the spirit Of solitude at times
reigued in undisturbed majesty. AT mid
day, when the heat ofthe summers sun is
too glowing for exefiion, there is not the
chirp of bird TO break the solemnity oil
the spot. The long and slender vice snake,
which at other hours is seen indusuiously
threading bis way through the niazes Of
the vintage. has now suspended himself on
q twig, and hangs as idle and as still as a
black silk cord. If you hear the tread Of
footsteps, it is not of man. but the stealthy
retreat Of an unsuspecting fawn, which
has slept too long. and which now, like a
woodland nyHlpb, HES away on the APP
- II -. n.f - Al. oo,su- .aI
10 the evening this scene of quiet aud re
pose is all changed. II is then The grana'
ry of the island, and the birds have all as.
semblcd aud are warbling in baechanna
confusion their morning or evening hymn
. The scenery Of Roanoke is neither grant
: nor sublime. There are no Alpine sum
: mi,s to mingle with clouds. but a series o
gentle undulations, and a few abrupt hiil'
in the valleys Of which the richly dressed
: scenery | have described may be found
: If il should ever be the lot Of the reader 4
stroll under the vintage shade Of Roanoke
made impervious TO the rays OF The sur
by the rich foliage and clustering grape
above him-he will not venture to discre
: dit the highly wrought sketches Of Ilario;
) nor mock the ha,nbler enthusiasm Of th'
volume now before hun.
remember oncc TO have stood upor
The lofliest eminence Of the island. and e
have watched the progress Of a sunset. !
was on a summers eve-which had bee
r made peculiarly clear by a violent thun
der sqisll The preceding highland not
b fila OF a cloud or a yapor was TO pc see
n about Tire horizon, or in the blue vault Q
heaven. There was not a breath OF ar I
u stir the slender leaf Of The few lofty pine
d that struggled around me, and even III
moeking bndseemed TO have hushed bl
capricious song to enjoy the Intense feel
ing Of The mouient. 10 the westward .
the island, the waters OF the Albemarl
crept sluggishly along-and in The wlndln
current of the Swash, several vessels stoo
" with nnf snrnah hut mniinniasa NIlngs-