Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-05-08
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
Visit to the Pond Mountain.

There is no sight that Nature offe. to the
eye, more grandly imposing and sublime,
than the towering, rugged MOUNTAIN. 1t
always stirs my strongest feelings. when ga
Zing upon one, whether amid the roar of
! -rrrific tempest, when its summit seems
the chrome of the thunders; or when the
quiet evening sun bathes its towering crest
in its liquid light, and paints its dells and
decivities in colors drawn from heaven
! There it stands in magnitude for surprising
the power of man to conceive; In grandeur
defying competition, and whvSe antiquity
tells of ages unnumbereG. Its beauty, the
tooth of time" has failed to impair; its
strength remains as when first planted there
! by the Creator {" in the beginning" firm as
the pillars of earth-an emblem of eternity.
| recently paid visit to the Pond Noun
/ tain, in Western North Carolina, not so eel
ebrated as many other portions of our sec
ton, it is true, yet for wild sublimity and
/ grandeur perhaps excelled oy few If our
western hills. | reached the house of Viii
born Waters, about SUNRISE "a celebrated
| hunter and daring mountaineer,) but early
as it was, found that he had already gone
out in quest of the savage animals that roam
their native hills. Alter refreshing the in
ner man with substantial breakfast, we
went out among the hills and spent the day
wandering over the principal peaks Of
the Pond Mountain, aln.iring its grand pic
ture>que scenery. About dark we lefnrned
4 to -the7-4aousc of MIR. w. He dill not return
till some two hours after night After re-
ceiving hearty grip from bis honest hand
and warm welcome from his gene, Gus
heart, he informed Us that he had Kill ire
mendous Bear and that we must 90 with
him next morning to bring him in aud hunt
for more-to both Of which invitations we
most gladly assented.
According to arrans sementS, We sat out
early next morning, and Travelled along the
dividing ridge between the Pond and White
Top mountains, the dist. nee of seven miles,
to point where the States Of North Caro-
lima, Virginia and Tennessee all corner: then
turning around the side of the mountain to.
wards the projecting rocks, we found our.
selves IN full view of Abingdon, Va, and
four miles from Taylorsville, n &. And
here we found the B ar Mr. w had killed
the day previous-and a large, fat specimen
of the Brun family he was, too, | assure
you. s-
A::-.,..ss,.s 4I.5 Urfler game we packed ole
Bruin on a stout house and wende;. our way
to the house. which we re tched late ctiI e.
with cold and weary with the day S ramb
iihSe. Dut MISS IhiAd o[lShI IRE anu nor
smoking supper soon restored our equilib-
rum, and a bed Of five or six soft bear skins
spread before the fire soon wooed US into TN
embrace OF nature sweet restorer-balm,
sleep"
This famous hunter has lived in thes
wilds for upwards of thirty years; and hi
skill as marksman is perhaps unrivalled b,
any one Of his age. He has kille4 98 Bear
twice as many wolves, panthers and cata
mounts, and raccoons without number. Ii
averages about go of the latter annu
ally
We left his hcspitable roof early next MOI
ming, for our home in the low lands, b CHI
delighted with our trip to his mountain
home.