The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-09-24
Scenes in Western North. Carolina.
SLINyrLLE RIVER.

throughout the South which are never seen
or heard of except by some adventurous
traveller, and known intimately only by;
the intrepid mountain hunter. Thus these
cunosties remain unnoted, while yearly
thousands Of our citizens 90 Northwar,ls in
search Of health or pleasure. Among such
may classed. the Falls Of the Linyille
Rirer, in Burke county. We doubt mot
hu. numbers Of persons iu Burke county
never heard. OF them. They are to be found
III ,le northwest corner of that county. near
TO that famous tree urn which the four
counties OF Burke, Ya,ruga, Yancey and
McDowe!l corner, and ..bout nine miles
from The Piedmont Springs. The facilities
foi getting TO them arc as We. about no "a.
elites at all-a: ;Iea may reformed by our
experiences:
Leaving Chillsville on the morning OF
Tuesday, in company with Col. Childs. we
rode within three miles Of the Falls. and
then leaving our buggy. we went on horse
back TO the houSe # Mr.. David franklin who
consented to beccne our guide, and after a
shori rest we moved OH TO tho Fails. Hav
ing arrived in half a mile of them we dis
mounted aud proceeded on foot, being una
Die 10 rlde on account OF fallen trees. We
soon reached The river, the din OF the wa
tefiali having for some time beer roarinq
in our ears, we then crossed il, to do so be.
ing compelled to put certain portions of our
person IN stat, of nature. Having cross
ed, we proceeded down the eastern bank
through wild and irregular growth ofivy,
laurel and whorteberry bushes. Ii is ra-
tier singular that on the west banli of the
LinvilIe, tlle soil is rich aud covered with n
most IuXunant growth of trees, while on
The east bank, just here, for some distance
out, nothii 6 of any worth grows. The nv
er where We crossed it has MS clear. smooth.
an appearance AS any mountain stream: i,
soon becomes agitated by sIigh. rapids. uu-
til suddenly il is divided by huge rock.
and dashes over fall Of about twenty feet:
1t then boils and surges in n most terrific
manner for about two hundred yards. the
while falling three several times, twisting
and turning in every shape that human
imagination can fancy.
Following our guide we seated ourself
on the top Of a rock around the base of
which the river rushes in its wild career.
About forty feet below us on one side dash
ed the troubled waters of The Linvile, on
the otner these same waters having forced
themselves through passage not more
Than ten feet wide, made their descent over
the last and highest fall. Hero the mist
was rising, and the rays Of the sun, as it shone
through which caused the peculiar view, re.
sembies SO much the sulphurous fumes
which Bunyan so well describes as arising
from certain dark abode, that il gives the
| cavern under the lower fall the name of the
Devils Hole. Our position was com.
mandlng one, but mol such as person with
weak nerves should seek. As we gazed
lar down the course OF the river, we could
see the stream again assume its compara.
lively placid appearance, but now, instead
OF banks almost even with its bed, il was
locked in by an impenetrable mass of
chimney rocks, which continue for miles
down It's course, rising in the most majestic
grandeur to height of one, two and three
hundred feet, and in some places nearly 10
thousand. AT one point we are inform
Cd the rocks close over the river, and il is
easy for person to jump from one bank
10 the other
The grand sublimity ofthc scenery which
Is hereahous presented TO the eye cannot be
surpassed by any in the world. Language
fails 10 describe it, and the pencil of the ar
list can give but faint conception Of its
beauty and magnificent grandeur. Here i,
is that man feels his nsignifcauee, and.
trembling, kneels with awe and fear. we
have seen Niagara in all lis artistic splen
dor, and we have seen what was called
grand scenery, but never, never have we
seen anything TO equal the scenery of Lin.
vile Rails, nor do we ever expect 10 see the
like again until we revisit them.
Ere long The pencil of The artist will
trace the tarest beauties and give them To
The worlds view. Ere long the spirit Of
enterprise will make good roads, and build
a good house, a! which visitors NAV stop.
No place can present the same attractions
as watering place that Linville can. It's
beautiful sceuery-that mover has been fnl
4 Iy eSpored-ils healthiu climae, tlie ex.
Eeciieui water OF The Raalesnakc Sprnp. the
Esortiiiy Of The soil, and last. but Gar from
Fieaat IN the pleasure seekers eye. the large
quantity of game which is 10 he found
thcreabouts. Having spent the afternoon
at Lucille we returned 10 Mr. Franklin's
house and there rested for the uight. The
next day we visited the Gingercske Rock.
Lhis kocll Is a curious formation, resting OF.
a udga between The Hawks Bill aud The
G1ngercake mountain, very near to The la,.
ter. il is high rock, conical in shane.
! between fi'ty and seventy feet IN height,
and six feet through at tie base, and risinr
to a ihieoneSs Of twenty-five or Thirty feet.
This rock is Hat on top and covered wi,!.
gray moss. On one end OF its top there
lies rock about fifteen feet long and fonr
or five wide, with thickness Of about four
feet. This rock is 10 all appearances iu,i
about to tail-at least ten feet OF il pfoi.rt-
i"s from the edge Of The main rork-thc
whole presenting the appearance Of having
just been dropped in lis place aud lodged
for little while, thus making one Of The
grandest sights That can exist in nature
| Re-ascendino the mountain v. w,IL i