The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-06-27
our COUNTRY Correspondence.
EXCURSIONS TO TIE SOUTH AND WEST.
RAILROAD AND SIEAMBoAT SKETCHES.
The patomac-Ri Richmond " Knoxville ',hc
clue Ridge Mountains Vsrgia'a
springs Knoxville to Memphis
mississippi -tieksburg ." e''
Louis and new t"rA.
h., &C.,

n,o,on ministers or emioiDe dxipgs Il it other
wise the beautiful scenery of the Soe'h ard S,pthves
opa bot be unfamiliar 10 tourists health seekers
rpc pleasure excursioniss Saratoga sgni ne nov anu
again pro,ably exchanged for the Sulphur Springs, New
pcri for Old Point Comfort Niagara for the Ken
lucky and call among tue Thousand Islands Of the 5.
Lawrence might DO oregoue for season 10 exchange for
q trip down the Mississippi or ap tue Missouri. Slt
Fashion time decreed aat its vOtares mrst
paronize Saratoga and Newport, aud Niagara and Cape
Nay, and the St. Lawrence, and be utterly oolyioas
snai Virginia springs, the Kentucky csgerns, toe
Southern watering places the Father Of wltee, ihe
'Bg Muddy" as the Missouri is sometimes iirsvereuty
called any place ,ept in biographies, nave any
CLAIMS upon tourists or pleasure seekers
And VET 70 such DO not dread being deemed unlash
ionable, would venture 10 recommend Southern
trip II might be anshed before tue season -
fully opened al Saratoga or Newport fhe mouths OF
NAY and June comprise probably the b5st season OF The
wear for such trip What II lacks IN fashion will be
than made up novelty and interest," besides, picks
mp IN this way practical acquaintance with the geogra
ply of the country Its features become impressed upoa
the mind every mountain and valley, and river and
prairie daguerreotype themselves in the memory; and
towns and ccs invested with interest which they
never possess while known only by the letters which
form their This it lie which constitutes of the
greatest charms of travel rhere nothing like il in al
The frivolous routine which goes to make up tedious H.
spent day al Congress Hall or the Ocean House.
There is, however, sort of lingering superstition
nected with Southern travel Tmid people appre-
heusive that the Aunchausensh story with which Cock
Dey named Arrowsmith was gulled few years ago, ia
reference sort Of sAogunasy meo perfor med
OF the Georgia railroads nothing but representa-
zion OF ordinary commonplace the land Of the
son plant They imagine that revolver AMI knife
and that the packe boats the Mississippi better
than floating gambling houses which lano;ent CONNER
eal travellers begued 70 their ruin, aeeced of all
their eady cash and spare clothes and esteemed lucky
allowed 10 escape With whole skin. We AFRAID the
ouch Illusions haunt the minds Of great many PEG.
pie m the Northern stass and not without taer effect
In keeping the South unknown land to those this
son have leisure a5d ID enable teen 10 spec
several months annually in travel or course there 10 no
foundation whatever FOR such bugbear approximations
The ordinary pOhtenesg Of civilized lie is IS much
observed south Of Mason and Dixons lac ss it is
north Of H. and perhaps little so ami the great
pulling Cat bottoned steamboats, that ply the Mississippi
eegan, in their ntsrnsl arrangements az well
ordered regard to the good conduct OF passengers
any Of ,hOse that between New York and Newport
We have been recently furnished by of atzchss
With notes Of tip Virginia aud Teaaesses to
Memphis, and t,snoe down the Mississippi to vsksblrg
returning by way Of - Lous. On ;inuaH aud Baltimore.
They may prove interesting just At IN tine when tlose
who afford 10 travel have left about leaving
che city, and may perhaps induce may of them
70 eeviate little from the lines Of laid by
highly fashionable society, and seek in the broIa
rahs aowery prares and rushing rivers mis- them
region Of country, taa freshness OF life ard that
change of which cannot be found The ovedoae and
rls fashionable OF ordinary excursions
rrEYE
Mere are Two routes between Washington and Rich
snsnd the is by steamer The Potomac % Aqaia
creek fifty ave miles, and thence By the Riotuaoud
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, distance OF
seventy 1--WE miles the other is By Aex-
sndria, thence by the Orange and Alexandra Railroad
place called Gordonsvills, composed Of iaveru and
sorne shsnies. where 4 made 10 oGt Of
tine with the Virginia Central Road 70 Rishmoad Hlv-
ing rot very pleasant recollection Of niwLter night
spent in the room Of the Gordoasvile tavern
fev years ago waiting for dom train Cn
trs chose the b. Aqus creek. Tas Mouui YER
non OF line very hne steamers, leE wnarf a.
Washington at half past six A. NJ Eih the passengers
End mails from tie North. rhe mails may have been
heavy. but the passengers were few. 4 round score
would have comprised whole Of them, for the gres,
mai route TO New Orleans does not seem 10 DO very
thriving business just nov.
Toe sal down the Potomac on pleasant summer morn
ing Of the most agreeable bits Of GA tine en-
lire route to New Orleans The sceuery char0g, paf
Sculary the eastern-the Mary landshore wn,6n mas
good Of the characteristics Of the fort Hamilton
shore Staten Island steambo.t-he diae-
renee however being in favor Of the Potomac On the
Virginia sde the land is level and lhcSy wood
ed lac boat sops 10 land and take ia passengers us
CITY Of Alsxancria once fourishne matt OF Commerce.
but now dwindlng away into insg0Iacancs rae s1ip.
Ping 1T is wharves, es se passed. consisted ozbus
chip and one bark ngiged in the s1ano trade aud shout
OF LILLE fishing tuacgs. TIE opgnipg the BAIT.
more and Ono RlToat has efegad the ruin Of b0to
Georgetown and Aie&aoora ~ dvertng from The Coes
pease and Ohio Canal the trade winch formerly enriched
these aad cent alizng that ttade ia Bal imore
After passing Alexandra the Potomac wdens very
FeIaey It has numerous bays aud inle.s when diver
sny Inc scenery and prevent 10 becoming monotonous
The high banks on the Maryland shore, thickly
wooded, restrict the view that side, but
On the Virginia side the land so1es away
IN most beautiful park Ike ske ches Of country
Here and there. at rare intervals, the family
mansions OF landed proprieors, mostly wing the
mts of gently stopping hilg but besides these there 10
little evidence OF mans presence in sosuies There
are few cottages OF the humber farmers to be from
the de,k of the steamer.
Some ten miles from Alexandria, high bluff of the
Maryland Shore stands Fort Washington its walls aos.
hidden from view by masses OF foliage. and it's garrison
sOnsisting, believe of old man, whose duty it 10
take OF The equally guus preserv e
iese inviting than the famous Fort Snelpg bat no oae
Cares TO make land speculation ON the poomlc WY
thar s would be difficult TO answer, for there few
liner or hsndsomcr fivere op the Continent.
While watching the reoeoing outline Of Fort Washing
sen VIC were startled by the toling Of the boats belt Il
reveren' Al custom tia, s observed BY 5tsaners ia
A-AH sst the tomb Of Washington, thus
TIE memory Of The grea; naa. We crossed over
70 tne Virginia side OF tho boat aad
saw, Tor me Asst time, that Mount Vernon
wnefe washington lived, died and buried, which the
pltrotc ladies d TIC land have ape.
over preserved sacre1, ant whcn one of the sars
IGNORED name row trader and soecliat Like the otnsr
family MANSIONS OF this region, stands 90 the prov Of
gerry sseilhg ni rising UP from TIE western sdore o.
The Potomac, the wooded lawn N front ctr .,cae down
" the va,ers edge.
We saGted bount Vernon and The boat steamed swiftly
On on past the WHITE Soase, tavern By tho fhore
&ach hequented " the picnic seaao1; past 1shns
snacEs and screT lTopelars bearing up 10 Alex 2n1r
on pA2t nshDg grounds whe-o shSd aud herring ere
,aken in ves, quantties; TO Aqua creek, where we
,gnu le cara ~ WAITING 70 take passengers Redmond.
ne ieit ,es ooAt IDprt seed more thaa
tore with The beauty and great Commercial advantage Of
Ie reonsc, navssDle AZ il Cor shpg q tie ergea,
nsssneh or nearly bzee hundred miles from 10 mouth
Hatipg country Of great agricultural and pastoral
f0- ~ aao PROBABLY having large mineral resources
n Ek0M TIE POTOMAC IN rta.u,tnNn