The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-07
From Miss Martiacau's Cd Book of Travels.
THE NATURAL BRIDGE.


THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
"Come on, sir; here's the place: stand still. How
fearful "." a@
And dizzy It's to cast ones eyes so low"
SHAKsPEARE.
desperate now
All farther course yon beetling bow s
In craggy nakedness sublime,
What heart or foot shall dare to climb ~
The shrewd Yankee driver Of the extra
exclusive return STAGE" which contained four
out Of six of our travelling party in Virginia,
was jocose about the approach to the Natural
Bridge. Mr.. l.. and were on horseback,
and the driver of the stage called after us
when we were "going ahead" to warn us
that we should get over the bridge without
knowing il if we went first. We, Of course,
determined to avoid looking so foolish as we
should do live passed the Natural Bridge
the little spot deemed important enough 70 be
put in capital letters in maps of the American
Union-without knowing it. Heads were
popped out Of the stage window to shout the
warning after us and the jokes really seemed
SO extremely insulting, that we were disposed
to push on, and get out Of sight Of Jefierson's
great wonder, before our fellow travellers
came up. For five miles we kept out Of sight
Of the stage; but at this point there was a
parting of the roads, and we could see no pos
sible means Of learning which we were to fol-
low. We were obliged to wait in the shade
till the distant drivers whip pointed out the
right hand road to us. We were now not far
from the object Of our expectations. We
agreed that we felt very quiet about it that
we were conscious of little Of the generation
which the very idea of Niagara inspires. The
intensity Of force, combined with repose, is
the charm of Niagara. No form Of rock
however grand in itself, or however beautiful
ly surrounded, can produce any thing like the
same impression. Experience proved that
we were right.
At mile from the bridge the road turns off
through wood. While the stage rolled and
jolted along the extremely bad road, Mr. L.
and went prying about the whole area of the
wood, poking our horses noses into every
thcket, and between any two pieces Of rock,
that we might be sure not to miss our object,
the driver smiling after US whenever he could
spare attention from his own not very easy
task Of getting his charge along. With all my
attention | could see no precipice, and was
concluding to follow the road without more
yagares, when Mr.. L., who was little in ad-
vance, waved his whip as he stood beside his
horse, and said "Herc is the bridget" then
perceived that we were nearly over it, the
piled rocks on either hand forming barrier
which prevents careless eye from perceiying
the ravine which it spans. ] turned to the side
OF the road, and rose in my stirrup to look
over; butt found it would not do; went on
to the inn, deposited my horse, and returned
on foot to the bridge.
With all my efforts could not look down
steadily into what seemed the bottomless
abyss Of foliage and shadow. From every
point Of the bridge tried, and all in vain. |
was heated and extremely hungry and much
vexed at my own weakness. The only way
was to 90 down and look up (; though where
the bottom could be was past my imagining,
the view from the top seeming to be OF foliage
below foliage for ever.
The way to the glen is through field oppo-
site the inn, and down steep, rough, rocky
path, which leads under the bridge and few
yards beyond it. think the finest view OF oil
is from this path, just before reaching the
bridge. The irregular arch of rock, spanning
a chasm of l60 feet in height, and from sixty
to ninety in width, is exquisitely tinted with
every shade Of gray and brown; while trees
oncroach from the sides and overhang from
the top, between which and the, arch there is
an additional depth of 6Ity-sx feet. II was
now early in July; the trees were in their
brightest and thickest foliage and the fall
becches under the arch contrastcd their YER
dure with the gray rock, and received the Gid
ing of the sunshine, as it slanted into the ra-
vine, glittering in the drip from the arch, and
in the splashing and tumbling waters OF Cedar
Creek, which ran by our feet. Swallows
were flying about under the arch. What