Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-07-20
NUMESE 20.
t'"'',sp0Heese> Of he Richmond Enquirer :
n Io"r Through Virginia and the soutb

"hs'''h'hs AND PEOPLE, PRACTICALLY csSspER-
I'd AND DESCRIBED.
LoCoMoi!'E skETCHEs-NO XII ffre,
The P0ES ot' Ou.r,
| Readers, we are a mile above ,,su,, - ,.,. -,
threequarters OF mile ab"v. mos, of vou. :, W.
regions OF the eagle, the cloud. and ,I s,orr, p.
no idle curiosity led u here ". cam. ,o,
the voares Of pleasure. or T.. .Sond.r .eskar..,,.
| ly. As the "untutored ia.inu a.csnd.d ,b ,o,..
tain tops to invoke the Gcea Spjr;t-a. perhs. ms
ny here ascended-~e 2" Gp 10 worship the Cr.a-o,
| through his works. Noiemqio Guilt with hands com
! pares with this greet Cathedral Of Nature whos.io iov
erlng pnnscles pierce the very clouds, nearly uuU
feet in the air; where The founders roll their bs,y
tones in the deep ditpssons of the storms. tho.
eternal monuments OF Tiu-, which Constitute tb.
very foundations OF the earth, and which existed ~,
the nucleus Of q world. before those ei.m.nts 40 -
sential to mankind wer, developed; before any yiu,
tbng,anlnste or DsImatt, came forth; before the Sim
rian or Devonen systems were created; before trs
limestone ana the Goals the mars and the lignlt-s---
perhaps thousands oi ages-which reared thetr bar
and solemn heads towards Heaven long before fh.
mighty Aleghanies rose Ia grandeur from the waste
OF waters that covered III, fac. Of the esrfh-from
the beginning to the end Of earthly things It's nc
wonder then that the g-o!o:.t comes 10 worsbiD A,
those granite atars snd pay his tribute 10 those
eternal monitors of manh'- ven.ratiou 70 their Gre
aior. AS We stood upon ,ho-e cray and aset rocks,
whoae shadow dial ike, haze marked each pss.ius
age since Eve with Adam first in Eden s.rsyed and
every revolution of the SUI, and every chang. and
every day from the beginnn. until now; other emo.
tions than those Of wonder or Of admiration filed m
breaSt-sepsatons whose thri'l;n,,
most pain, more intense than those awakened by
Nisgars or the Natural Bridge and sti!l more tnri
ing because We did not anticipate the surprise q, the
thoughts which rushed upon US.
From their base to their peaks these mountains ar.
study, not only to the geologis but 10 Ell thc..
who admire the glorious and magnificent yyorl ot
creation; from the tiny sughng rivuet to The thun
derng cataract; from tie forest crowned hill to the
snow clad mountain; from the placid stream to the
mighty ocean; and from this simple globe TO the inda
hnte and starry universe. Randolph, eccentric snG
misguided, if not really wicked, after gazing in So
lemu silence on the mighty scenes around him fror
Inc top OF the Peaks OF Otter turned to hs servant
and said ln his strange and impressive way: "Juba
never believe any one who tells you there is no God
But We are not describing the Peaks. Indeed W.
sha not try. Neither poetry nor prose s sufficient
and even the inspired pencil of the painter can
vey no just impression to the mind of the grandeu,
and beauty of the scene with which our senses OF
Ylslon of sublmity, of wonder are fessed on ;hit
watch tower of Virginia. We are not as high ~
when We stood on the White Mountains, nor M high
as many Of you, perhaps, have been. who hnve
climbed the snow clad mountains. OF Mexico-POpo
ca,apelt, Chimborszo, or even the City of Mexico
ttooIE hn.a
iure in mountain scenery The Peaks arise abruptly
from the plain, like mighty column, nearly amilein
heigth. Those who have toed up TO the top of Trim.
ty steeple in New York and gazed down the Plaonio
throat of Wall Street with its thousands Of ar1iru,
Lliputians crowding in dumb show to III. 'enpl-
the money kings or those who have screwed them
selves up the spirsl steps OF Bunker Hill Monumeui
may have some idea of the direct altitude of ti,a
Peaks, when they consder that Ten Of the hi.i5st
pnnaces Of art would fail to reach the tops Of Ot:c
From this tremendous stand point nt--tremendoua
because it appears higher 10 the senses than th"
highest mountain upon which man can live-we be-
hold nearly half Of Vrgnis30,OOO square mes NJ on
magnificent State. It's vast and upduating Eastern
portion extending from feet TO the sea- its great
and celebrated Yaley-the Valley Of Virginia with
out rival in beauty, richness; its mighty monnanf
to the West whose dark receding terraces tower .6o.
each other almost TO the skies. Around Us srse- 'ia
lesser peaks of the Blue Ridge, that skirts phst h'
base OF Otter, in long blue sapphire ranges grown
darker and fainter in the dim distance below 'ir
III quiet beauty the thousand farms OF Bedford, rich
in all the gories of primeval summer with s golden
fields of ripened wheat, in which the respers swing
their glittering blades; with emerald fields Of corn,
l ao;Is a.,
flashed from light to shade from sunshine to Shadow
beneath the rapidly passing clouds. We sscended in
| the morning aud had day of it-s revel IN the on-
lestial spheres. Had We bespoken oar entertainment
of Nature it could not have been more grand anu ~.
red nor more appropriate 10 the approaching nnn-
versary OF Independence, which celebrated on 'Nr
| Peaks Of Otter. Our programme ran thus h=.rrj
| ing the Hill Of SceDce-a study OF tie oestIoH.-'he
| grey headed mountain stsndug in silent and solemn
reverence beneath the starry dome OF Ls.v-n--'to
morning orisons of the celestial hoats-hry retire be-.
fore the ber aids of approaching dGy-sunrife. Je
| Dsun Laudamus
| 'Tis morn -aui up the orient
| Aurora lights her golden way
| And from EarIhs rosy battemSnt,
| Proclainis Hypeflon-GOd OF day.
A change comes over the spirit OF the seem, !1'.
aud shadow dream land, the period Of mOla,ng
nap; day, the grsudss, scene of ALI Virginia unVeed
in majestic glory, while The ma'lns OF moru nscsni
on high from every verral cLor-;er. The ao2ha-
MES arising from their slumber; exhibition OF pic-
lures from Nature, NOT in the Dusseldorf Gallery cr
the "Arts Union;" dissolvng views through cIrtcEs
of mist, oblivion. Engraving our nam"s with peas
OF iron ON tabls,s Of granite. Recess until noon
Iyp Heavens blue Arch expanding far
Old Sol had reached tne KEY spen nigh
And iercely by the virgin star,
| Leaps from his zenith down TIE sky.
Nature opens her laboratory brewing storm m in
teresting operation How thunder ia maze IA. con.
oussion and discharge, fire works on grand acri-,
rain, hail and lightning of the elsmen'a. "
| from the 'mother of waters" and old ocean, zEt
down from the Staunton, the Dan and the Rive! OF
the Woods" rush the flying clouds of wa'ery dsmons
to the ETHEREAL Gelds gaining strength column Ct er
column asc.nded, msrshalled by storms and march
ing 70 the tap of the thunder's drum; until meeting
midway in heaven, like the crash Of worc', the
mighty psgent ends but the echoes still rolled
from mountain 10 mountain, ".mitins ths c'hrrai
spaces with an apgusbed ba-ytone." The Spectacle
changes. Up from the billy city Of tobacco, cones
ihe iron horse chained TO the rsmphal car oi human
progress rushing with bis conquerois over hi a"h
valley mountain and river, far tar awey 10 'he mighty
waters of the West and Git accompaniment Wa
thia, TO 30 sublme exhibition.
Now trembling nj the Western gate,
Hvpcrion ayes his golden hair
And srandly dows his crimson state.
l,Vcnus him smiling there
Slowly they sunk beneath the Western horizon,
glorious snce beautiful evening star. And now
Night spreads her mantle DER the globe,
Celestial h'es light up the sky;
And Earth clad in her sapphire robe,
Sings with the quiring worlds on high.
Thus ends memorable day on the Peaks Of Otter
and now we descend grstihed and well pleased
with our trip, from the sublime and poeca, many
weary steps to the beautiful little Hotel i'll the vals