Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-07-28

ness had thrown its fairy wand on the
bilow, and it slept. The water pre-
sented smooth surface, and seemed
a mass of pure glass. After looking
for some time upon its unruffled bosom,
ventured to disturb its deep slurnbe2,
by riding into it a short distance, and
it was but short distance; for it is sew
eral hundred feet deep. The water is as
clear as crystal, and near the shore the
bottom is covered with white gravel.
It is only within few years past that
i the water commenced running out, { for
| have been informed by several gen.
tlemen, that forty years ago there was
no lake here-nothing but a spring.
And to show that this is the fact, there
are large trees now standing in the
lake, though their tops are seen far un-
der the water. It leaves the parental
bosom at the northern corner, passing
some distance through large rocks, and
quitting the rocks, it steals quietly
through the tall heavy grass that bends
over its limped waves, until it approach
es point, where it pitches IN perpen-
dicular leap of one hundred and fifty
feet-dashing headlong into the yawn
ing gulf below-tossing its frosty spray
in every direction-lashing with fury
the rocks below-and whirling onward,
bids farewell to the parental bosom for
ever.
From this scene of delight, we took
a path to the right, and assembled to the
top of the Naked Knob. This eleva-
tieh appears to be compound of two
mountains, whose SUBMITS nearly APP
proximating from the east to the west,
leaves a small basin between them
In this lap Or basin the lake lays, from
which the mountain takes its name
From the top Of this knob, the eye Of
the traveller is arrested by the broad
prospect which spreads out before him.
To the northwest and south, broken
ridges and solitary peaks are. seen in
every direction, until their tops are lost
in the deep blue of the far-off sky. To
the south, by the aid of the glass, is
seen the beautiful town Of Christians
burg, seeming to sleep quietly upon
the broad bosom of the Allegheny
Mountain. Beyond it, mountains con-
tinue to rise, one above the other, I'M
til the last ore that can be discovered
seems to wreath its top in the clouds
of Heaven.
Turning to the right of these ever
lasting hills, you behold the beautiful
and well wooded vale far, far below,
through which the beautiful New Riv-
er winds its fertiizing eourse-form'
ing landscape superior to any thing
Of the kind | ever saw before. From
these scenes, we turned our attention
to the height Ga which we Stood
This knob is desolate, without trees
and but few shrubs, except here and
there few cranberries, and occasion
ally patch Of strawberries. The. south
side of the mountain is smooth. But
not so on the north side; for it is naught
but wild confusion. 1t seems to have
been formed by some CONFUSION
of Nature, which resulted in cast
ing up,in the widest possible confusion,
in every shape, form, and size, tremen-
dous rocks
Huge as the tower which builders vain
;. III n
On,these thunder-spllntered pinnacles
we stood, and viewed the tall trees that
waved their green heads, far beneath
our feet. Upon these rocks the light.
nings have for ages poured their wrath:
yet they stand unscathed and unhurt-
showing only the blue mark of the
lightning's track, as it stepped from
rock to rock, in its onward march.
In these rocks found large chasm.
After looking into it for some time,
and not being able to discover the end
of the opening, concluded to enter it,
and see If could find the end, though
| had rather rough pathway. I sue
ceeded IN reaching lever pace, Where
the opening turned to the right into the
mountain. Ny companion, who was
quite jocular fellow, babe me good
bye, supposing, as he said, that | would
come out in some other region OF the
globe. But having 20 light, i did not
feel like entering these regions Of dark
ness, and so returned. BY climbing
up narrow place, like a chimney
sweep, my back against one side and
my. feet and knees against the other,
when | reached the cliff | seated my
self to rest my weary limbs, but was
soon compelled to quit these sultry
heights, by the cold winds that hoWled
around, almost blowing me off my feet.
Weary and tired, we mounted our hor-
ses. Here we took our last view OF
this romantic scene, on the like of which,
-