Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-02

olen Spectator was consequently greatly increased and
when Inc stranger reached the hilltop he was accosted as
follows
May ask you' sir, if you come from Tennessee ,"
- do. What will you have :" replied the stranger
Inc Carolnian then related his trading story which he
concluded by carefully relterang the determination he had
aue ne stranger laughed at the idea aad was about TO
resume MS Journey when the reins Of his horse were seized
and he found that it indeed necessary for him 10 b his
way out OF the queer scape All remonsance on bs mar.
was in vain but, at tbs very the fight was 70
mence another horseman rode up, who was also
as to his native State His presence had tendency n
pend hosites, but when asceraned that he was
kensuckaD, the Carolinan insisted upon going on with his
business The feelings Of the Kentuckian were now enIed
and ne declared his intention Of egulatnghe fight where
upon he made large ring, and taking out of his pocket
couple OF pistols he told the combatants go ahead" and
at the same time warned the sendes that he would shoot
the first man that nterfered The conclusion Of the whole
matter was that the intoxicated received cruel thrash
ing Tor his ridiculous conduct, and the two gentlemen from
the West quietly resumed their several journeys.
On my way to this place stopped for few hours at Dea-
grS Sulphur Springs, which about four miles from the
French Broad river, he road Clarasye Georgia This
is one Of the most popular watering places in the South not
only on account OF the medicinal qualities Of the water on
account OF the surrounding scenery which remarkably
terssng, and also for the additional that the style in
which people are entertained well worldly of such
places Saratoga The several buildings connected with
the establishment usually accommodate aboa two hundred
families during the MONTHS and they chiefly from
the cities of Charleston and Savannah. The people OF East
ern North Carolina do not know that they such
delightful retreat within their borders which, to man Of
genuine ,aste far ahead of Saratoga as mountain
stream is ahead Of a canal.
With regard to Ashvle, can only say that tits very busy
and pleasant village, filed with intelligent and hosptabe il
habants, and is the centre Of mountain land Nature
has been extremely liberal and tasteful plng up her mighty
buwarks fer the admiration of Indeed from the sum-
init OF bill immediately in the vicinity Of the village had
southwestern view which struck eminenty superb
1t the sunset hour and the sky was flooded with
golden glow, which gave living beauty least hundred
mountain peaks from the of which loomsd high to-
wards the zenith Mount Psgah and the Cold Mountain
richly clothed IN purple which from twenty thirty miles
Distant and not far from six thousand feet in height The
middle distance, though in reality composed Of wood-crowned
hills, presented the appearance Of level plain valley
where columns Of blue smoke gracefully floating into the
apper air, and whence the occasional tnke of bell
as the cattle wended their way homeward ae roaming
among the unenced hills Directly my feet lay the little
town OF Ashvle, like oddlyshapei figure green
pet and over the whole dwet spirit repose which
seemed t>quiet the krobbngs of the heart
My first expedition arriving here gorge in the
Blue Ridge called the Hickory Nat Cap How it came by
that name cannot imagine, the forests this parcu-
lar REGION far could ascertain almost entirely des-
tiute of the hickory tree. Il that for distance of
four miles the gorge waered by brook called after the
hickory nut, but take it that this is borrowed one
The entire length Of the gap about nine miles, and the
five miles watered by the Rocky Broad The upper
part Of this streaun between the Blue Ridge proper and
spur of the Blue Ridge and ct the point where forces
channel through the spur its bed is exceedingly rocky and
on either hand until reaches the middle country of the
State, is protected by series Of mountain bluffs That
portion Of the gorge which might be called the gateway
the eastern extremity From any point of view this paricu
lar spot remarkably imposing the gap being than
half mile wide, though appearing down few
hundred yards The highest bluff the south side, and
though rising to the height of full Twenty-Five hundred feet
is nearly perpendicular and midway up front stands
isolated rock, looming against the sky which is of circular
form, and resembles the principal turret of supendous
e The entire mountain is composed Of granite and large
proportion of the bluff in question positively hangs the
abyss beneath and smooth il could possibly be made
by the rains Of uncounted centuries. Over portion
this superb cliff falling far down into undiscovered and
apparently unattainable pool, is of water which
to be the offspring Of the clouds and in eghborng
brook the base Of this pecpce three shooting
falls the foot Of which, formed of the solid stone are
three holes which about ten feet diameter and
from forty TO nifty feet In DEPTH But leaving these remark
able features entirely out Of the question, the mountain
scenery in this vicinity is beautiful and fantastic any
have yet witnessed among the Aeghanies. At farmhouse
the gap, where spent night, had the pleasure Of
meeting English gentleman and tourist and he informed
me that though he had crossed the number of places
yet he had any mountain scenery which he thought
as beautiful that of the Hickory Nut Gap My best
Of the gorge was from the eastward and just the sum- with
magnificent etnue Of clouds, sinking directly in the
hollow Of the hills and gazed upon the prospect
ed TO me- reality the case that stood the very
threshold Of almost boundless wilderness Of mountains
Before visiting this remarkable passage through the
tains endeavored to ascertain from the Cheokees Of uaa
Town. its original Indian name, but without succeeding 1t
my good fortune, however, obtain a romantic legend
connected herewith. heard il from tho lips Of Chief who
gores in the two names Of All Bones and Flying Squirrel
and though he occupied less than hours in telling tho
story, will endeavor to give it my readers in about five
minutes
There time when the Cherokees were without the
famous Tsongh, tobacco weed, with which they had
previously been made acquainted by wandering stranger
from tho Car East Having smoked it in their large
pipes they became inpatient obtain il abundance They
asceraned that the country where grew in the greatest
quantities situated the big waters and that the gate
way to that country "a mighty gorge among the mounains