Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-08-25

MOUNTAIN ExCURsfoD.-Scsne one, signing bis
name !" Harry Hall, JSess;st, giyes in the lsst
Greensboro Pasviot.a long md iniersstiry eccodht
of visit by him apd one U1Sle Jc6ues ITO Black
Mountain, Mitchslis Pool. &c Barring smatteri6g
Of poetry, not Try approprA quoted, rather
overstrained Of ssstimens, md !. disposition to
be somewhat gTshdiloquent generally, the Journ.
ast " furnishes q very readable, and, in the main,
correct article But 10 the cosciss;sa II his letter
he states an untruth-no doubt uninten,onaIy
Speaking Of the Pool in which Prof Mitchell was
drowned, he says:
with the exception Of the lamented Elisha Mitch.
ell, Mr. Lewis, ana the active, strong and gallant
mountaineers who we're there to find and help in
getting the body Of DR. from that deep pool up to
the High Peak. an act which cannot be too much
and too highly lauded, Uncle jacques and the wri.
ter are the only persons who have ventured into
that wilderness And nothing, in the bounds of
reason. could induce US to descend from the High
Peak to Mitchelrs Falls again; nor would we advise
any OF our friends to enter upon Undertaking so
hard SO daring and SO perilous"
Now we have been to that very Pool, in company
with two others, one of whom one of the "strong
and gallant mountaneers" that assisted in carving
up the body Of Prof Mitchell. We regard it as one
Of the events of life-indeed we are proud of it.
and we do not like to be robbed of the honor The
time Of our visit was in September, 1857; and we
think the party, of which we were one was the first
that visited the Pool after it became renowned, ex.
cept that of Mr.. Lewis the artist, whose tent poles
were standing at the time of our visit
We fully concur with Mr.. "Harry Hall" in what
he says concerning the dangers and difficulties at
tending visit to that now famous spot We are
glad We have been there, but we do not wish to 20
again. No one that visits it will repent doing so,
but imagine there very few that will ever re-
peat the visit In the Standard of September 80
1857. we thus spoke of our trip to the fatal Pool:
we descended slowly. pausing to cut some canes,
gather balsom blisters, &c. This route is about a
mile farther than that by which we assembled and
the descent is very rapid 1t is about three miles
from the top of the peak to the pool into which
Prof Mitchell fell, and to travel down and view it. it
seems almost impossible that such burden as his
dead body could have been carried up it. Those
who bore him, (and only four could get hold of
climb precipices, Chamber up rocks over fallen logs
wind along on shelving cliffs, &C. None but noun
taineers of the most untring frames and lndomable
perseverance could ever bave accomplished the feat
They did it in the almost incredible short space of
three hours.
Going some distance down the mountain side. we
struck into little ravine the very way Prof Mitch
ell was tracked. This ravine at the time of our visit
dry but in wet weather it carries down con.
siderable water. The laurel growth is very thick
in fact mpenetrab!e, on both sides of it, Following
along this rugged way, at length came to the ia
tai pool. The size of the stream snot larger than
an ordinary spring branch. The water shoots over
a rock down into the pool, some thirty feet Against
this rock leans an old log against which have no
doubt Prof Mitchell FELL striking it some five or six
feet from its upper end, and stunning him that he
was incapable Of making any effort when he struck
the water. ] have idea that he was ever con-
scous of drowning. The bruises found on him
would not have produced DEATH and think he
could have extricated himself from the water if he
had possessed his usual strength and faculties The
water in the pool is probably fifteen feet Deep but
ten feet from where he lay when found it is not over
mans head 1t is wild and gloomy place; but
God thore, and there the .l.sts.i.s. and tho
scholar met Him.
We fingered for some time, with saddened feel
ings, about this pool and again resumed journey
Our only road now was the bed of the stream along
which we travelled dry-shod, eapng from rock to
rock, crawling around precipices and walking on
fallen logs. 1t is dangerous way but there is an
excitement in travelling it that takes away the sense
of danger. We all had numerous falls, but fortu-
natey escaped unhurt Abon, 81 miles travelled
thus brought to the settle where we had lef
our horses"
And now, giving all dine honors to Mr.. Harry
Hall, We trust he will attempt to rob us of any
of ours