Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-10-24

that country might or rather does pro-
duce, the observation would be Just /;
but no city can be begrit with terri
tory more Astounding in all the ele-
ments of salubrity and natural beauty.
AS we speed on oar course up the
broad river, the waving woods of green
Hoboken, the irtermingled shrubbery,
lawns, and scattered dwellings of the
Island, and the beautifully regular gi-
ant wall Of the Palisades, attract the
wayfarer's attention, after he had look
ed his last upon the receding outline of
the Emporium OF the Western Hemis-
phere. Nothing can be said to arrest
the attention-thc movement, is too rap
| id for that Then the wooden hills,
laughing fields, low dwellings, and half
federal mansions of Westminster pass
rapidly in review. The quiet village
OF Tarryton uprises in the view East
ward; but the Western shore has not
yet manifested sign Of cultivation,
scarcely Of human existence. A frow-
ming barrier of rock is still presented,
which sets husbandry and even specu-
lation at defiance. Occasionally its
grim regularity and rigid fidelity TO the
| stream are relaxed a moment to give
room for the slight hut of solitary
fisherman, with scanty rood just
traversable sterility about it, shut out
from all else by the impending precipi-
ccs, and approached by water alone.
| A thousand vessels are passing within
| bow shot, but nobody dreams of a
landing save that lonely fisherman in
his humble skiff, or some equally iso-
lated brother in his vocation. Truly,
"this, this is solitude"
The shores recede from US; we are
in the midst Of the Tappan Sea- still
bearing East of North with the course
of the lovely Rhine of America. From
our position in the van, we look back
on the whole fotila of steamers which
left Now York with us--the foremost,
our rival, a few rods astern, the rest at
intervals of mile or so, ambitiously
straining to lose as little ground as pos
sble. The rays Of the setting sun
threw a golden radiance on the park
like scenery of Westminster and the
busy village ofSing-Sing filings the sha-
dow of its marble edifces on the water,
or would, if it stood on the other side of
the river. Teller's Point is passed !;
and with a sheer to the Westward we
| enter Haverstraw Bay, second edition
| of the Tappan. Behind Teller's Point,
our noble river receives the meagre
tribute of the Croton, from which New
York is to receive her exhaustless sup
ply of the purifying and wholesome ell
ement. Stony Point, Of Revolutionary
fame, soon greets us on the left, sur
mounted, instead of tower and battle
ment, by light house. A noble change
this from importance in the deadly
game of war, to utility, to commerce,
the most enobling and humanizing of
the arts of peace-from an engine Of
destruction TO a beacon Of safety to
the steam-tossed mariner. Lasting be
the transformation
The bay is nearly passed as dark
ness comes down upon US, and the
liphts of venerable looking Peekskill
CLEAN steadily from the East as Spas
sengers for Caldwell's" is s:ernly shou-
ted on hoard. The rock barrier on
the West has for brief space relen-
ted, giving chance for road into the
heart Of Orange county; and the lam
ding is called "Caldwell's," probably
because there is no room to build a
village, and the name ofthe inn-keep.
er must do duty as a designation. 1t
is our first stopping place, forty miles
from New York, and here our fellow.
voyagcrs begin to desert us for the
more attractive company of "wife,
children, and friends" comfortably
nestled behind and among the high
hills which still frown on us from the
left.
A moments pause, and "on the
vessel Speeds" like a giant refreshed
and rejoicing in his strength. Our
hitherto straight but slightly curyili-
near course is now for miles devious
| anu CIlliCdl Onc, Ioi VIC uiS io" pun
gng amid the highlands. They lift
| their bare rocks on every side and be-
fore us, and we seem for minutes TO be
rushing on certain destruction. But a
vista suddenly opens to the right or
left-our barge obeys the beck of her
helmsman, bounding merrily and fear
lessly on. "The horse knoweth its ri
der,' and the giant force which is dri-
wing US through the water with al
most supernatural energy is in skilful
hands as tractable and gentle as a
lamb.
Night among the mountains was
ever scene more glorious, sublime ?
Their bases are laved by the unrufiied
tide; their submits tower proudly and
eopoa almost narppndicular ahovp uz