Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-09-02

WALLED BANKS OF THE AUSABl

From the Rochester Inelisencer.
WALLED BANKS OF THE AUSABLE.
Our great country contains much of the
wonderful in natural scenery wnich has
never received merited attention.--Al-
most evcrv one has heard the thunders
OF the Niagara, and fastened his eyes on
the romantic beauties of the Hudson; and
the praises of these have been written and
sung by all classes of tourists from the
literary aristocracy down to the exquisite
and The blue stocking.
NV object is not so much to inuuirc
why those, who would fam be the admirers
Of Nature, crowd year after year, like in.
sects to a candle, to the same great toci of
sight scers, as to point out neglected but
very remarkable spot, which | eau CONN.,
IDENTIFY recommend to the attention Of the
tourist.
lfmy reader has ever sailed through the
length of Lake Champlain IN either of the
admirable son mbDats which daily ply be-
tween st. Johns and Whitehall, he cannot
fail to have been delighted with tic extra
ordinary beauty Of each shore; but NAV
very possibly have failed to learn that he
should quit the steamboat at Port Kent,
| u slldll Vliupc III ESsch SU.s IN. OpDO-
site Burlington for view which would
pay one for voyage across the Atlantic. =
Four miles ENTHUSIASTICALLY from Port
Kent is the village of Birmingham, through
which flows the Ausable River, forming
here most beautiful cascade of 10 feet "a III
About half mile from Birmingham in the
bosom of q deep forest. is the wonder, of
which ! have been speaking G. 1t consists
IN the perpendicular banks of the river,
which rise like wall on each side of the
stream TO the height of two hundred feet.
The river, which at Birmingham may be
thirty yards across, is here narrowed 20
the breadth Of 90 feet, and rushes furiousy
along at the bottom of this enormous
cbasm. To stand IN the banks and listen
to the torrent dashng and foamng along
It's narrow way, Is terrific absolutely apal.
ling. There are several lateral assures
branching from the channel, as deep as the
chasm itself, and 50 narrow that you may
step across. One Of these affords the only
access to the bottom Of this magnificent
passage. You enter at the extremity and
pass down dark narrow way, which ad-
mts bat one person la time, until the de-
scendng party by steps in the rock, and
partly by rude ladder, you reach sort
of'Tablc Rock nearly on level with the
water. Here you first become sensible of
the great depth of The chasm. You look
upward with astOnl-hm ent at the almost
en- less height of the Walls which enclose
you; and you are filled with admiration a,
seeing the regularity and symmetry which
Art eau never snrpass, Combined with vast
ness, which it may not dream Ut ennlailng
The walls of this specimen Of Natures
Masonry. are as accurately perpendicular
a. the chi-ei aud plumb could have made
lhnm.and The numerous strata are laid with
taultlesS regularity aud cXaciness. Ada
cent to the Table Rock of winch ! have
spoken is an angie of wall remarkable for
being protected by n round column, oil
mount alnous size and two hundred feet
high
The whole length Of this exiraordinary
rock passage is nearly mule. The walls
: are highest at the place OF descent, but II
no place is their height less than one hun
dred feet, except perhaps at the extre'n
, tiles. My reader Is assured that should he
visit the Wall Banks of the Ausabc, III
w,ll view scene of rare and wonderful
: Interest. scarcely Inferior, in tn" opinion o
, many, to Niagara itself. VIATOR.
The Kceseville Herald, IN romarklng
upon this subject says;
ut has often been the fortune of geniu
to have been neglec' ed; and minds formed
for high destiny, for the want of sympathy
aud encouragement, haye gone down II
obscurity to the grave. Not unfrcqnenlly
the hand Of friendship has raked from lhei
moulderlng ashes. sparks of heavenly orr
, gin. But Natures works have rarely beer
f thus neg ec,ed. The highest mountain an'
, the lowest valey--the roaring cataract an'
-, The dark cavern, have been usually honor
i ed ~ the footsteps of man. And places o
a 10 interest have become so, in consequence
of the hallowed charms with which geniu
A invests It's subjects. Such are Sleep.
. Hollow 'Cora's Cave and the tree undo
n which the pure and bright spirit of Jam
a McCrea was released from It's trall tene
a ment by The Indians tomahawk
q The scenery at the High Bridge Is
J.. called in this vlclni'y,) cquallng the great
, est wonders OF the Creators hand, has bee
- an exception to the above remarks.
n never was the Poets theme, nor the sub
y ject of the inspired pen of romance; or eve
scarcely visited, except by here and ther
e a stray traveller
a, Yet no individual eyer stood on the edg