Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-08-31

| . IL. Il .Aictlty. fni the nag Of gold that Is sal
IN hang an is end. TIE cloud melted into
thin air The rainbow banished. and the sweet
hin. heavens arched as sinillngly above Us as
,bey did over the ark on The subsistence OF the
waters Of the deluge. But we were now de
scendinp towards The great curiosity which We
ere eager 10 see. TIE children were full Of
anxiety. and were strsining their eyes 10 catch
a first glimpse of the great wonder OF which
they had heard SO much. Directly. as we came
In a field on The road side, suddenly the high
soaring arch oil he Bride &c, rising lar above the
tops OF the intervening trees. burst upon our
view. and The cry was raised, 1.-The Bridge,
.the Bridge One of the little white haired
fellows on The top Of the stage sad 1t vas
worth a ride, o. a hard trotting horse, for a
hundred miles 10 see that much of 1t. But
soon we were al the bridge Hotel" and with.
ont stopping TO register our names. we all tas-
tened TO The Bridge. Our first view was from
above. Most OF us got down to the Cedar
stump" and looked down into that dark.
~yawning cavern that seems TO open TO the heart
oil The world. We could hear the murmur Of
The waters as they loaned and freited over the
rocky bed Of the stream far below. After Sc
curing a few Grips ard splinters from the
stump" as relics. ard trophies, We FASTENED
round. and descended by a rugged. steep and
circnitous path 10 the bed of Cedar Creek
posing over rocks, bearing The names Of hum
dreds of visitors, from all parts Of the world,
,htseh d an, so as TO resist the abfasi, ms of
wind and weather Emerging from the woody
hill side, into the opening of the chasm that
yawns beneath The Blidge, the great object
that meets the eye, on looking upward, is that
stnpendous arch, 50 high and majestic, span.
mn - ftat Uuntpn = ,lu,, TN, H. l., a. f..
lrg walls that rise so precipitousiy above you
We were soon under the arch, and here, by
common consent, VI raised a general shout.
and our voices rang and reverberated as
though we had been in some great tempe.
And indeed some Of us felt as though we werc
in a temple bull by Col himself; and it seemed
a suitable place for a devont acknowledgment
OF the mighty hand that made and supports all
things. There was a feeling of devotion thai
arose spontaneously with the emotion of gran
deur and s%ublimity excited by the great work
beneath which ve veIe standing.
We attempted to trace out the Eagle and the
Lion on the under surface Of the arch, but in
this most ofus We're unsuccessful. Looking up
ward 10 the Cedar stump" we were surprised
at our own rashness and temerity, as 1t row
appeared 10 US, in approaching a spot so peril
GUS II lHstClTt. fleWtu IToT1 DeIOW, The
rock, On the edge of which the stump stands,
seems to be nearly detached from the great
mass of which it forms a part and seems to
he trembling and nodd,ng in the air. A por.
lion of the company retired from The chasu,
and sought The Hotel: Others fingered behind.
The evening was drawing on. and it was grow
IN dark in the great underground temple
The bats were flying high overhead, bur some
H14tp,rp Eapaotb tho orcI NJ l,.,lo -
stir on the high way, passing over the bridge,
were un'eard in hat secluded spot. The mind
was suhdued and at,uned to devotion. The
gathering darkness around reminded one of the
sorrows and Affections inciden, to this life, but
the light that glowed along the skies. aud
CLEANED ADORE US, reminded one, as foroiblv,
Of that bright aud beautiful world above The
skies. where sorrow and signing flee away
forever" Night drove US all to the Hotel.
where our polit. and accommodating landlord,
had prepared Tor US a sumptuous supper
Our appetites were keen, and " e enjoyed the
repast. And not long thereafter most of us
had forgotten the incidents of the dav. and
were sweet enjoying a delightful nights re.
pose. in the comfortable beds of The Natural
Bridge Hotel The dreams and visions of
the n ght, we stop not here TO recount OF mar
rate.
Early in the morning We were up, and after
n good breakfast. started for another look at
The Bridge. We were now favored with a
gu'de-a clever, gentlenanly, young man
who took us to several points above the Bridge,
on The edge Of the fearful chasm, from which
we had fine views OF the arch, and abutments
of this remarkable work of nature. Oar guide
was so well acquainted with the localities, and
so long accustomed 10 walk about the place,
that he manifested no sort of fear in approach
ing TIE edge Of the precipice. He stood care.
lessly on the brink of the deep gulf-and seat
ed himself on the rocks, it'll his feet d%nngling
over a cavern more than two hundred feet in
depth.
We descended again to the creek under the
Blldge Our guide pointed out the Eagle and
Lions head, which we now distinctly saw and
wandered that we had not discovered them
before. He also showed not a bad likenes, of
a we'll proporioned pony. in full gallop, in the
Eagles wing. The name of the ever to.be