The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-10-11
"A Wonderful Lake.

lhn following EXTRACTS ars from the
correspondence to the Courier G En-.
quier, OF ,.r. E. Meriann, who is now
Hs;eiii;E a5Hsii.t ihhu auiiii ioss Olf the st.
Ea~reuce a - ~
Z" Another point Of great interest,
i examined on the north, side of the
water shed, on the high lands Of Cam
milIus; on a fiat piece Of ground, in
deepening Il spring, u LLlacE-roo!.- was
reached, which had the lustre a d
cumpactness and culor of anthracite
coal, bat it lacks tie essential quality
of being c"mbustibIe. !ohlained sew.
eral specimens for my geological col
lection. On the high land the apples
we're Of exquisite flavor and most
beautiful tint-the most splendid fruit
| have seen anywhere. East of this
point nn the top ofa hill in Manlius [
examined wonderful Iake-this lake
is in the apex of high hill aud is in
the bottom of q circular inden!ati.,n
like the crater at an ex.inguished vol
cano. The form of the crater is like
that Of the inside oi q teaoup, it is
about 200 feet from the upper rim to
the water. The water has q depth of
more than thee hundred feet, and
when louked at from the top of the
bank has b'igh, green cnlor, but on
being lifted in Il glass is found to be
perfectly transparent Trees that fall
into the water tf the lake becnmc en-
cru%ted with green c,utiiy, that on
beng exposed to the air hecane stone.
The boys in the vicinity get small
sticks out o the water thus encrusted
and cutting out the woody p rt make
whistles of the stone emcrustatiun.
Another lake called tho Lower Green
Lake connects with this circ,ll r lake
by little run that app ars to have
found its way through All op chas,n.
examined the round Like i. The even
ing first by snunn light, ! was alone
and stood upon its mysterious rim ul,.
der the shade Of noble tree, with
sink-holes around me, endeavoring to
gather fram the impressive scenery
new thoughts. 1t is q wonderful place
to commune i'll silence with ones self.
listened atten,ively to see any noise
came from below; nothing uf the kind
was perceptible, The next morning
hetore the sun had risen, again re-
paired ia the banks of this deep basin
and could, in that state of atmosphere
which on q clear morning precedes
sunrisc, discaver gases rising from the
bottom Of every portion of the lake;
its su, face was in stale Of ebuliton
from the escape of the gases from be-
low. At tho luwer lake spent some
time-there. with the striking of stick
on the surface of the water, | caused
bubbles to form on tho surface and as
these were waited toward a rock
a,ond upon, which gently slnpcd int,
the lake, having white surface,
noticed that the suns rays were brought
toia focus by these bubbles, in fint
pointed star. Il was an interestin.
observation, and continued it foy al
hour with deep interest.
| ~, the borders Of this lake in
cool November morning | came upo,
Ia garden Of fowers-beantiful an,
splendid beyond description-the,
were frost flowers and the growth q
the previous night. In shape they re
senble the white pond lily--but tn
stem was unlike that aquatic flower
being only Of q few inches in length
these frost flowers were "a large q
lthe white lily, and rose but a littl