Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-12-05

In a letter addressed by the Hon. Thos. L. Cling
man (of the Buncombe district of N o. to PROBES
Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution the wrl.
ter gives minute description of his admeasurement,
by barometer, of severs9 peaks of the Black Noun
tain range in the said Buncombc district, the high
est of which Professor Henry has named Clingman's
Peak, in honor of the discoverer The following is
extract from the letter, which will disclose to the
reader some of the beautiful of all the beauti
full scenery of the great Appalachian range:
From the head of the Swannanoahat Mr. Steps,
where angler find speckled trout, there is an
easy way to the Mountain House, built by Mr.. VIM.
Patton, of Charleston, S. c. Its present occupant
will provide with pleasant lodgings, and what
mountain journeys render SO welcome, all such COM
forts for the inner man. as this region affords with
fresh salmon from Scotland, and champagne from
France, to make them go down easily. After resting
here awhile, the height of five thousand four hun
dred and sixty fcet(6 460) above the level, two
miles of travel horse back hundreds of ladies
testify, will bring him to the top OF" Mt Mitchell"
When one is upon this peak he appears to be on
a centre, from which there run off five immense
mountain chains. To the northward stretches the
main ledge of the Black with a succession of cones
and spires along its dark crest.
On it's right from the far northeast, from the Key
ston State, across the entire breadth of Virginia,
seemingly from an Unreasonable distance, comes
the long line of the Blue Ridge or Allegheny, but
when it passes almost under him. it is comparatively
so much depressed rs scarcely be perceptible
where at the point of junction, stimulated by the
presence of its gigantic neighbor it shoots up intoa
pinnacle steep, that to use hunters phrase, it
would make buZzards head swim, if he were to
attempt to fly it."
Thence it runs southerly, till it touches South
Carolina, when it tends west, and is soon hidden be-
hind colossal that obstruct further vision in
that direction. AS the chain of the Black sweeps
around wcstwardly, it is suddenly parted into two
immense branches which run off in opposite cours
The northern terminates in majestic pile, with
n crown-like summit, with numerous spurs from Its
base; while to the south there leads off the long
ridge of Craggy with it's naked slopes and fantastic
peaks, which dominates its great Dome" chal-
longing, in its altitude ambitious comparison with
the Black itself
Let the observer then lift his eye to remote dis
lance and take circuit i'll the opposite direction.
Looking to the southeast and to the east he sees,
beyond :" Kings mountan,,' and others less known
to fame, the plain of the two Carolnas, stretched
ont field of limitabe space, in color and out
line indistinguShable from the " azure brow" Of the
calm ocean. Near to him, to the northeast, over
the Lnville mountain, stands squarcy upright the
" Table rock" with its perpendicular faces; and its
in-brother, the awkbill," with its curved beak
of overhanging rock, and neck inclined, as if in
the act to stoop down the plain below. Farther
on there rises in solitary grandeur the rocky throne
of the abrupt and wild Grandfather This IAN
cient Of days long deemed the monarch Of
mountains but now, like other royal exiles he only
retains shadow of his former authority in patr
archal name, given because of the grey beard he
shows, when frozen cloud has iced his rhododcn-
drons Westward of him stands victorious rival,
the gently undulatng prairie of the Roam, stretch
ing for 40 miles in length, until its green
and fowcry carpet is terminated by acasteatcd crag
the - Bluff
From this extends southwardly the long, but bro
ken line of the Unaka" through the passes of
which, far away the entire valley of East Ten
nessee in the distance the blue outline of the
Cumberland mountains, they penetrate the State
of the " dark and bloody ground" In contrast with
the bold aspect and rugged chaSms of the " Bald
mountain, its smoothly shaven and regularly round
ed top bringing to u.ind classic cupola for,
when the sunlight sleeps upon its convex head, it
temple more worthy of all the gods than |
that Pantheon, its famed Roman rival. A the eye
again sweeps onward, it is arrested by the massive
pile of the great Smoky mountain" arkened by !
its trrees and often by the cloudy drapery it wears
From thence there stretches quite through Haywood !
and Henderson to South Cardinals border, the long
range of the :" Balsam mountain" its pointed steep ,
les overlapping the " Cold mountain and Pisgah" !
and attaining probably their greatest elevation
wards the head of the French Broad river
Besides these the eye rests on many ripe green
valley" with its winding streams, and many name !
less peak, and many waving ridge initiating in its |
curling shapes the pillows of the when |
dashed by the tempest. And if is favored by t
Jove he many pcrchance hear the sharp, shrill |
scream of his " coId ceaving minister" and, as he
sweeps by with that bright eye which pierces down.
ward, onward above, with a pervading vision
encrccS him in wide curves, shows reit cted back
from the gloieen brown of his long wings,
The westering beams aslant
Of the descending sun.
But from Mount Mitchell where one is still tempt
ed to linger, since my first visit, way has been
opened quite to the highest point. As one rides |
scented to him succession of varied, picturesque
and beautiful views Sometimes he passes through
open spots smooth and green enough to be tho
dancing grounds of the faires and anon he plunges
into dense forests of balsam, ground covered
by thick beds of moss soft and elastic that a
wearied reposcs on it as he would a basin
of fluid mercury In the last and largest of the
little prairies will be apt to pause awhile not
only for the sake of the magnificent panorama in
the distance but also because attracted by the gen.
tie beauty of the spot, its grassy, waving surface,
interspersed with fattened rocky seats studded in
the sunlight with gtering scales of mica, and here
and there, clusters of young balsams fourishng in
their freshest and richest green in this, their favor
lite climate, pointed at top, but spreading below
evenly till their lower branches touch the earth, and
presenting the outlines of regular cones.
From this place the highest peak is soon attained.
Any who doubts its altitude may thus easily
satisfy himself for it stands and will Continue to
stand counting measurement. One who from the
looks down it's vast proportions, its
broad base and long spurs running for miles in
all directions, and gazes in silent wonder on its dark
pumage of countless frs will feel fear that it's
g shadow will become less, Or that in the pre-
sent geological aget will meet the fate fancied by
the poet when he wrote the words -
Winds under ground waters forcing way,
Sdelong had pushed a mountain from his scat,
Half sunk with all his pince.
fear, my dear sir, that have made this letter
much too long for your patience and yet the veg
citation and surrounding scenery of this mountain |
peculiar and remarkable as it u.s. might we'll tempt
TO 81; hail bo,, |