Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-21
SELECTIONS.
From the L~smisburg AHeehaaidn.

boring country is interpreted with hills aud valleys
SO thai. at every turn, The traveller meets with \
view Of a new and richly y~ariegated scenery. II has
received lis name from the fact tha, when a person
speaks in n certain part OF II. a reverheraiion cnsucs.
altogether charming 10 the ear. Tradition SAYS, in
former days, the young OF both sexes were wont to
assemble here, and, after having illuminated the cav
en with hundreds OF torches, unite then voices IN
singing their favorite airs.
Ii was delightful morning in the month Of July.
1884, when DIR. b. and myself, accompanied with a
guide, visited tins cave. Our lights consisted 1.-TWO
small torches, and a candle with more wick than
tanow. Says our guide. rs we stood al the entrance
This cave has no, less than onr hnni,ed and
fifty different branches. and no person has ever been
in all OF hem-yet, ! know the principal parts
We, however, never thought of danger. rs We intend
ed 10 return Immediately. The mouth of the cave
was from ten to fifteen ieet in diameter. We enter
ed by a very gradual descent. A few PAGES took us
into the midst of
A pulseless silence, dread. profound.
More awful Than the %tempest's sound"
All was a death like stiffness. save the slow but
continual dripping OF water from the afclcd roof,
and he solemn echo OF our voices, as we expressed
our admiration at the scenery by winch we were
surrounded. We proceeded slowly. observing the
structure Of dltlerenl paits Of the cavern, and the va
nous Crystalline formations ol carbonate OF lImr, IN
nj We had gone about four hundred yards. Here we
found our course interrupted bv a steep, rocky de
scent thstlay just before us. We looked over, but
our view was limited by thick darkness. We threw
down rocks, but could only hear them plunge into
deep water. The muse of a running stream. gurg-
ling among the rocks, family fell upon the ear, and
then died away IN the distant pant of the cave.
Our guide told us we might venture down with per
feet safety, and 90 ont on the other side Of the hill
but as our lgl''s were growing short, we concluded
We would return. When we had come IN sight of
the placeb by which we had entered, we discovered
an opening leading TO the right. We had 10 cntor
III astooping posture, though directly We were ush-
cred into a large room. tie remote parts Of which
were not Illuminated by our torches. So complete
iy was our attention occupied, that We were induced
10 go on nearly n quarter OF a mile, whrn Tins part of
the cave narrowed down into a perpendicular cleft M
the rock. The shortness Of our light now admon.
ished us to return without much delay.
For my part began % think ofthe " hundred and
fifty branches some Of which no person had ever
seen. ] observed, we are returning the way we
came, Tor here Is the smoke Of our lights Direct.
1y, however, ! discovered that no smoke WAS to be
seen nor mad ever been IN that part OF the cave
In which we were atihat time. How we had taken the
wrong way, | could not tell. | knew BIZ the couutc.
nances Of the others, that they were confused. |
then broke silence, tor We had been walking on tor
some minutes without a word.) by taking Dr.. b. by
the hand. and saying. doctor we are lost''-"Thal
we are SAID he. shall never forget the manner
IN which he pronounced these words, and the inlu-
ence they exerted upon me. had almost sunk TO
the ground. And now our guide, who had gone be
fore, cres out; Il am al the end of this branch
lie returned, ior he could go no further. At our re-
quest, he 2nt out his light, so that when ours
were burnt up, we might light his. We halted a
minute TO patley. Ouf guide pointed in one direction
for the mouth OF the cave, DR.. b. another, and |
a thifd but We wcrc all wrong. What we do, we
must do quickly says the Di. for We shall dirccti,
be in the DARK Many were the thoughts that
rushed through my mind in quick succession. In
tins cave, \ man was lost thee days in Kentucky
another perished: and are we to lay down on this
cold earth. or fall in these huge pits aud die in dark
ness, and none 10 tell what has become of us! |
then silently iaised a tefvent petition TO lleaIeu for
DIVINE assistance, in dong which | felt a submisslvc
composure, firmly believing that the Redeemer
would lishten up that dark cavern hy his smiles in a
dying hour. We still CROPPED our way onward. not
knowing where we were going, but occasionally we
would make a mark In the loose earth, so that, It IN
our wanderings, we should again see that ma X,
we would know where we had been. Directly we
saw something like the mellowing tlnts of evening as
the last rays Of the departing sun fell upon the cloud
IN 1.-THE distant horizon; il was the light reflected from
the door OF the cave. Never was il received with
more joyfulness Of heart.
Epilepsy cured By Trepanning.-On a morning
visit. last week, to the Massachusetts General Hos.
pital. we say the Rev. f. Q. Sewell. OF Scituate. a
patient ofthe institution. whose case is so re,narka-
BILE that we intend hereafter to publish a complete
history Of it from the beginning. with a view OF pla.
eng on permanent medical record a most iu,ercs-
ting triumph Of sureical skill. Without al all antici-
patlng the details of the proposed report. suffice ii
to say, that owing 10 a diseased condition of the
bones OF the skull Of tho head, MIR. Sewell had not
only been IN constant pain, more or less, for
twelve years, but he was subjected to sudden and vi.
client fits, as they are commonly denominated, which
sometimes continued without interruption, nearly
two hours. Twice or thee times, of late, he was
thus instantly bereft of consciousness, and thrown
into violent 81 asms, while officiating in the church
ofwhich he is the pastor. Under these circum-
stances, he came to Boston for advice. Dr.. Geo,
Hayward, after examining into all the circumstances,
was convinced that the only mode Of relieving an
OBVIOUS pressure on the BRAIN. was TO take out II por-
ton oil bone at the point which seemed to he the TO-
Gus oil disease.-He accordingly trepanned the gen
tlemaD, taking out a button of bone about three quar-
tiers OF an inch in diameter. Although the pain
OF the operation was intense, the patient did not
utter a complaint, and on the instant of raising the
bone from the brain, he said he had not been SO
perfectly free from pain in twelve years before.
There has been no return of epilepsy the wound is
nearly healed; he feels well, looks well, and, to our an
prshension. will soon return to his church and society
in perfect health. The pulsa,ions Of the brain are
now seen on his head precisely as we notIce then.
over the tontanells OF young children. Owing 10 COM
preston oil the brain, its functions were interrupted,
aad the whole machinery Of the body thrown at
Tones into irregular spasmodic action, which was de-
ssfuctsve 10 health, and was continually growing
worse. TO the ingenuity aud science Of DIR. Hay-
wa!d' therefore,, he owes his life and The community
Will rejoice. with the sufferer and his friends. il,
the goodness Of that Providence who has thus res,or-
I'd him to health and happiness. Medical Journal.