Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-01-13
From PoFtsxs Spirit Of the Times.1
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

i, lCFrom Postsks Spirit Of the Timea]
ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
VISIT TO BALD MOUNTAINS, IN YANcEY COUNTY, NC.
On a ssltry day, towards the last of August
company. consisting of DR.. Hardy, Henry Winston
Joseph Lohery, and myself in fine spirits, commen.
ced an. excursion to this celebrated mountain az
miles northwest of Asheville. The close of hard
day ride found us lodged in . woodlands hut. the
latter being almost in an untenantabe condition.
this, We discovered to our cost as thunderstorm
came up in the night and the rain was driven in
until each Of US was completely drenched. In this
condition, we made an early start on the next morn.
ing, that we might ascend the mountain before the
day should become uncomfortably warm The
storm of the preceding night had driven from the
atmosphere all its hazy vopor; and, as the fog CHM
bed up the mountains sides from the valleys the
ethereal vault had that pure and bright indigo tint
that it sometimes has on frosty winter nights when
myriads of stars twinkling and We can look G.r
into the depths Of unfathomabe space.
We, at sunrise, were fast approaching the NOM.
tain; and here, at the distance of five miles ito
naked and sun illuminated top doomed up before ns
IN the northwest, an imposing mass of beauty and
grandeur. After breakiasting, and procuring guide
at the base OF the mountain, at 10 o'clock we com.
menced its ascent-We had yet three miles before
us, of steep climbing, along narrow mountain trail:
but, having its naked top before in full view the
while, the strong wish to reach it impaired to each
Of us unusual strength and activity.
6 The timber on the mountain, at and near its base
was large and lofty ; but as we progressed upward
into more rare atmosphere, it gradually diminished
in size, until it dwndled to mere shrubs. and finally
disappeared entirely. The top of the mountain Law
spread out before us, some beautiful prairie which
had been up-heaved by some convusion in Mature.
and thus left reposing upon the top of the mountain
in its solitary beauty. This elevated prairie has
surface of some hundreds of acres in extent con-.
posed Of rich loan, and entirely covered with tho
most luxuriant grapes, interspersed and garnished
with the richest variety of floral plants, of every
shade and tint. f.....a..
Two bold swels divide this prairie into two sec.
tons-one hundred feet higher than the other, de.
nominated Large" and Little Bald" Betwixt
them, there lies small valley and in it a beautiful
little sheet of limpid water-a lake in miniature:
which, to use poetic figure,
"Seems a mirror hung on high
To show the wonders of the sky"
From hence, we directed our course to the most
elevated point, upon Big Bald; on reaching which,
language is too weak to portray the that burst
miles around US, the world seemed spread out like
a map, upon which, at our leisure, could turn
from one prospect to another and in detail contem.
plate the varied beauty of the landscape around u.s.
The most conspicuous features in this extensive scene
was, the chain of the Blue Ridge, it on from
the northeast of us, at the distance of 20 miles,
Swelling and sinking in its course, it bent round TO-
wards the southwest throwing out hundreds of ram.
6cations in the form of lofty peaks and pinnacles
that gave bold outline to its course, until far to-
wards the southwest, it seemed to sink down, and
mingle with the blue ocean. The prospect next in
sublimity was the Cumberland chain of mountains,
which We could see in their entire length, they
lay, far out towards the west and northwest the
verge Of the smooth, blue horizon, 80 or 80 miles
distant; forming as it were, light frame. work to
the picturesque landscape of East Tennessee,
which our eyes could range if looking at paint.
ing.
One of our party called attention to some yellow
specks, that had the appearance of so many gnats,
resting the Cumberland chain, the latter resem-
bling blue knotty silk thread, stretched out on
blue parchment None of US could conjecture what
they were. Shortly, they assumed the size of flies;
presently thereafter, of ladies' caps; and finally,
proved to be squadron of clouds, floating directly
toward us.-When the foremost had reached the
mountain it had attained the size of ten-acre field,
and striking fourth of mile below U.S. it assembled
the mountains side very slowly, until it reached the
lie, Ell of the depression betwixt the two Bads, when
it rushed through with the greatest velocity, 1t
then fell in large rolling Masses down into deep
gorge of the mountain, its lee side, and became
stationary on q stratum of atmosphere, on level
with that on which it had aoated to the mountain.
In like manner, cloud succeeded cloud, until the
accumulation formed dense mass, which, in short
time, was agtated by strong currents of wind; and,
while all was clear and calm where we stood, heavy
rain. storm beat upon the side of the mountain, far
beneath US. ..... ......
The clouds still continuing to take higher range,
the rain cloud assembled until it was detached from
the mountain, moving slowly off towards the east;
and, As It thus went the sun shining full upon its
vapory mass it displayed the most brilliant iris we
ever beheld-a perfect and complete circle. Here,
an exclamation Of mingled admiration and astonish.
ment escaped from the whole company and, until
the cloud and its beautiful phenomenon had passed
away, nothing else was noticed or spoken Of. This
was in fact the first time that it had ever occurred
to any of the party, that the common rainbow,
which we had been familiar with from childhood, as
seen upon the summers cloud and, with reverentlal
admiration, had looked upon as the beautiful symbol
of Gods covenant with man, should under certain
circumstances be no bow at all, but complete cir
Gle and the sight Of an instant dissipaed the delu
sion of years Esd, ts.t., ....
tain, enveoped US in its vapory dark mass and tor
q short ti,ne, we were literally surrounded by
darkness that could be felt )" and SO fine and
subtle were it's particles, that in short space OF
time, our garments were completely saturated, and,
when the cloud had passed by, the water was drip
ping from each individuals hair and beard.
As the evening advanced, the clouds still assumed
appeared to float half mile above US. The sun at
length went down, sinking, IS it we're, into blue
ocean, on the extreme verge Of the western horizon
We made hasty descent to = wooded recess, on the
west side Of the mountain, no great distance from
the prairie and spent the night in an abandoned hut
of the celebrated hermit Of the Bald Mountain,
David Greer.
Next morning. long before break of day, We were
again on the mountains top-this time the Little
Bald"-to witness the suns rising. The moon, IN
its last quarter shone dimly though misty, Grape.
like haze, and below the world seemed vast
ocean-as fog had filled up the yalleys-whlle the
Hottest of the mountains sent up their tops above IL
as group of islands of various shapes and sizes
After gazing long and inten,ly toward the east, at
length, away on the verge Of the horizon there ap
peared eleam of brightness, which gradually shot
upward, and increased until the whole ethereal ts,
vault lit up in glow as int; Dr ngn.
In al tha SUMS disc was seen as q bright star,